


No Turning Back

by BlueEyedDoctor



Category: Call of Duty (Video Games)
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Military, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst and Romance, Apocalypse, Apocalypse Fix-it, Awkward Romance, Background Relationships, Backstory, Caliginous Romance | Kismesis, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Gen, Military, Military Background, Military Backstory, Military Science Fiction, Original Character(s), Post-Apocalypse, Pre-Apocalypse, Romance, Science Fiction, Slow Romance, Tragic Romance, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:21:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 24,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27945947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueEyedDoctor/pseuds/BlueEyedDoctor
Summary: This is book two in my series titled "Roses and Blood"Series list: Book One: Into The AetherBook Two: No Turning Back..................................................................................After the events of Kino der Toten, feelings have been declared and the group has fractured.Richtofen is still determined to continue his pursuit of reaching godhood... no matter what the cost...................................................................................
Relationships: "Tank" Dempsey/Original Character(s), Edward Richtofen/Original Character(s)
Comments: 90
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

The three men sat around the fire in silence - _no one had spoken much since that day._ They all bowed their heads as they watched the embers crackle and spark before fading to ashes. As the flames raged and warred, Dempsey felt a deep rooted anger welling within him.

He refused to believe that Kiana could have met such a fate - _or Primis._ Richtofen was indestructible, _which Dempsey conceded;_ and to think that he, _or any other version of himself_ , could meet such a fate was downright impossible. It seemed so obvious to Dempsey yet he could not get his comrades to see this. _And it frustrated him_ _greatly._

Any time he tried to bring it up with Takeo or Nikolai they would always shut him down. As hard as it was for them they _had_ come to terms with it. And to them, Dempsey's denial was simply part of his grief. He just needed to give himself time to accept it. But Dempsey knew deep down, _deep in the pit of his stomach_ , that she was still alive. There was no doubt Primis was still alive and Dempsey knew that he would _always_ be there to protect Kiana.

And the anger he currently felt boiling up was due to _how_ Richtofen was dealing with things. Ever since that day, he had reverted back to the sadistic monster they first met. _The one_ _that_ _existed before Kiana came into their lives._ And, _of course_ , he made sure to carry on like nothing happened. Not even a mention of her name had escaped his lips since it happened.

One thing the three men did agree on however was that Richtofen's behaviour had changed dramatically since Kiana was not around. His manic episodes had increased in frequency as his sanity was slowly beginning to elude him. The grounded, calculating genuis he showed to the world was beginning to crumble as he immersed himself in his ' _work_ '. And there was no doubt that whatever he was doing was linked to his Grand Scheme.

This was their second night in the Ragnarök facility yet Richtofen had already seen fit to set up some kind of autopsy room. The first day they arrived, Richtofen immediately got to work repairing the teleporter - _which made sense -_ however the autopsy room did not. Richtofen would lock himself away from the others and stay up to the wee hours of the morning as he conducted his ' _research_ '.

This _was_ the kind if thing Richtofen would do for fun and Dempsey did think that perhaps there was no rhyme or reason behind it. But sadly this was to the detriment of their sleep; the three men would lie awake cringing and and squirming as they were forced to listen to his manical cackling and outbursts of violence.

But Dempsey knew Richtofen was masking something; _he_ knew exactly what happened that day. Yet, he saw it fit to conceal what really happened from Dempsey, Takeo and Nikolai. It was clearly for a reason as Richtofen _always_ used everything to his own advantage.

 _"Dempsey... Dempsey!"_ a voice called out which tore him from his thoughts.

 _"Dempsey!"_ The voice shouted again. Dempsey snapped back to reality and turned to the source of the noise.

 _"Dempsey, it is your turn for night watch"_ , Takeo reminded him. Dempsey looked at Takeo in a daze before he finally came around.

 _"Takeo..."_ , Dempsey whispered - _earning a look of intrigue from the man in question._

 _"She's still alive -- I-- I can feel it!"_ Dempsey proclaimed.

 _"Richtofen is lying, he's covering something up what really happened that day. I know it!"_ Dempsey cried as he stood up in protest. This time, he was going to make sure Takeo and Nikolai listened to him.

 _"Dempsey--"_ , Nikolai began before his sentence was interrupted with a belch.

 _"We have gone over this before. You saw how bad thing were in there. The whole place was crawling with hellpigs!"_ Nikolai continued as he raised his arms dramatically to convey the state of the theatre.

 _"Nikolai is right, you saw it with your own eyes--"_ , Takeo added before being cut off.

 _"BUT I NEVER SAW_ ** _HER_** _WITH MY OWN EYES!"_ Dempsey shouted in frustration causing both men to fall silent.

 _"She. Is. Alive. And we're just sitting here getting ordered around by that kraut while we could be doing something!"_ Dempsey explained. After a moment, Takeo was the first to break his silence.

 _"We have nothing to go on but your gut feeling. You do not know anything for sure!"_ Takeo replied bluntly and dismissively whilst Nikolai nodded in agreement. Dempsey stood there as his lips parted in disbelief before he just stared at the two men.

 _"Why are you both acting like this?!"_ Dempsey snapped lowly.

 _"He lies, he deceives-- HE IS SICK FOR_ _FUCK_ _SAKE! How the hell can you two believe HIM over ME!?"_ Dempsey growled through gritted teeth. His eyes burned with anger as the emotion culminated to a crescendo. He suddenly swivelled around as his fist thrust an explosive punch against the filing cabinet next to him.

The rumble of the metal echoed and bellowed as the noise reverberated around the large bare room. Dempsey kept his back to the two men as they looked at eachother in shock. After a few seconds, the sound finally dissipated into silence.

Dempsey's feet remained firmly rooted to the floor as he willed himself to turn around. His breathing was short and sharp, scarlet patches of skin ran up the side of his neck as the front of his forehead felt taught. He stood there trying to calm himself down before Takeo finally said something.

 _"Dempsey, what do you expect us to do?"_ Takeo began.

 _"What_ ** _can_** _we do?"_ He continued before Dempsey swung around and interrupted him.

 _"We may not be able to find her... but there_ ** _is_** _something we can do!"_ Dempsey exclaimed.

 _"Ayyy! Is all good and happy!"_ Nikolai slurred jovially before frowning.

 _"But what_ ** _is_** _it we can do?"_ Nikolai whispered dejectedly as he averted eye contact and stared at the vodka bottle in his hand. Dempsey shook his head and rolled his eyes before laughing.

 _"We can stall him!"_ Dempsey replied as his eyes gleamed with hope.

 _"Yes! All we have to do is just hold the doc back. Kiana's a smart girl, she's probably catching up with us already. She knows what's coming next! And thats something the doc_ ** _can't_** _do!"_ Dempsey explained.

 _"I_ ** _never_** _believed Richtofen for_ ** _one_** _second but I kept thinking about_ ** _how_** _**we**_ _could get to her. But we don't even need to! We just have to do our bit!"_ Dempsey added excitedly as he roused the other two men into action.

 _"Dempsey..."_ Takeo began, as Dempsey suddenly went silent and quietly waited for him to continue.

 _"...This could work"_ , Takeo continued - _causing both men to continue their celebration._

 _"She's out there! Just help me give her some time to catch up with us. You know how this ends for us all if that_ ** _freak_** _succeeds!"_ Dempsey insisted.

 _"Da! He might be right, Takeo!"_ Nikolai chimed in. Nikolai was now beginning to see sense but Takeo was much more stubborn.

 _"C'mon Tak. What other plan do we have? He dragged us across freakbag infested kraut country! He's gonna kill us eventually!"_ Dempsey pleaded as he tried to reason with Takeo.

Takeo had remained seated by the fire as he now sat in silence. Dempsey looked at him expectantly as he and Nikolai anticipated his response. Just before Dempsey was about to lose hope, Takeo finally spoke up.

 _"I believe that there_ ** _are_** _things in this world which cannot be explained. Since Kiana arrived-- I have never believed this more vehemently. I also believe it is possible for souls to remained tied to eachother even when they are not physically together"_ , Takeo began.

 _"And I do not want to believe that a warrior like her would fall in battle any more than you, Dempsey. I can believe that if she is alive then it is only a matter of time before our paths cross again_ ", he continued as Dempsey's face lit up.

 _"That's the spirit, Tak! I knew you'd come round! All we've gotta do is slow him down long enough for Kiana and Primis to catch up with us"_ , Dempsey cheered.

 _"You guys get some sleep and I'll think of something!"_ Dempsey said as he walked back over to the fire where his gun lay. Takeo and Nikolai nodded in agreement and began to settle in for the night. They stayed close to the fire as they wrapped themselves up in their blankets. Dempsey pocked up his gun before marching to his post with staunch determination in every step.

_He had this time to himself to formulate a plan... and he had to make it count._

_End of part one..._


	2. Chapter Two: Dr Karl von Rohr Pt. 1

Richtofen always hated sleep. Yet, no matter how hard he tried to elude it; his body would eventually betray him. He _was_ still human after all - _for the time being at least._ He had many plans, ideas and projects that he wanted to carry out; yet, the fallibility of the flesh held him back from reaching his full potential. Whenever he finally did give into sleep he never usually dreamt. But recently, the dreams became more and more vivid.

Initially, his dreams began as non-coherent and unintelligible illusions. But regardless, they would always cause him to awaken with a jolt. He would suddenly sit up sweating and gasping for breath as his pulse raced. And it didn't take long before these messy dreams evolved into something more familiar.

At first, they were more like abstract impressions of past events. But soon Richtofen's dreams became more akin to recollections. It was as if a dam had burst in his mind - _and all the memories rushed back like a tsunami._

Richtofen saw his life in chapters; once one came to a close, he would lock it away in his mind and banish it to the inner recesses. He would even go to great lengths to remove any trace of it in the physical world - _always tearing down what he had built and rebuilding it somewhere else._

His reluctance to experience the past caused him to fear sleep all the more. Whenever night set in, he would always try to occupy his mind with projects and experiments in a vain attempt to stay awake. However, his circadian clock always rang without fail. The feelings of dread would overcome him at the onset of the symptoms; heavy eyelids, limbs which felt like lead weights - _they were the harbingers of what was to come._

Richtofen and his men spent their fourth night at the Ragnarök facility. It was 3am as Richtofen sat at his desk writing up his notes - _after a fairly bloody expedition into the corpse of an undead soldier._ The clock in the room ticked incessantly as his mind rang with the sound. His head began to feel light and the palpitations set in. Richtofen felt the familiar feeling of doom and gloom as his body cried out for sleep. In fact, _considering the two days he had_ _gone_ _without it_ , his body was practically screaming.

Soon enough, Richtofen dropped his pen and dragged himself to his makeshift bed - _kicking off his boots and taking off his jacket._ As he stood over the bed, he slid off his tie and undid the top buttons of his shirt. He then shrugged off his braces which hung down as they remained attached to the waistband of his trousers.

Richtofen's muscles ached and his bones groaned as he lay down on his back. It wasn't long before his eyes closed and he began to dream. The mirage of shapes and colours slowly formed into a familiar place.

In 1928, on a busy street in East Berlin; the locals were engaged in their usual rumour spinning. Everybody feared the doctor who was tasked with seeing to their medical complaints. And these fears had been heightened after the disappearance of one resident. An elderly widower had made his descent down the stairs to the basement flat which functioned as the medical practice. Despite complaining to acquaintances about the pain in his left knee - _he was never seen again._

However, the doctor's terrifying reputation would soon become expunged and replaced with high regard - _all_ _thanks_ _to one_ _patient_ _._ His name was Hugo Lang, a father of twelve who stayed with his wife and children in the same tenement block as the practice. He earned a living for his family by working in a factory after the Great War.

Germany was reeling from her defeat and the Treaty of Versailles only added to the wounds. Food shortages were commonplace and power was scarce. As those on the front lines migrated back to Germany they began to flood the cities - _the increased demand further hindering the country's recovery._

During his conscription, Hugo had been in a mortar explosion where fragments of shrapnel had embedded themselves in his head. At the time, surgeons removed what they could but it had been impossible to extract every last piece. His injuries also left his face visibly scarred and disfigured. The chronic pain resulting from his battlefield injury also carried through long after his initial wounds had healed.

One day, _after working a twenty hour shift at the factory_ , Hugo collapsed as his left side became paralysed. In the absence of a local ambulance service; his colleagues carried him home through the streets. As dawn arose, the clicking of shoes and tired grunts echoed inside the tenement stairwell. Curious neighbours rushed to their doors as they watched the men ascend the steps to the third floor. Once they reached the landing, the men were met by Hugo's wife who stood by the door - _her eyes filling with trepidation._

Days had passed and the prospect of recovery was not in sight. Many of their children took on jobs to support the family but Hugo earned the largest income. Upon hearing of his continued distress; neighbours finally suggested that the Langs finally seek help from the strange doctor downstairs. However, each day they refused the more desperate they became. _No one ever sought out the doctor unless they were on death's door._

Eventually they relented and decided to visit the practice. Even with the abject property the country found itself in, the doctor would often offer his treatment free of charge. He did so to try and encourage patients to come through the door - _though, it was to simply aquire flesh_ _to practice on_ _rather_ _than_ _any altruistic motivation._ But his abrupt, sinister demeanour had the opposite effect.

The atmosphere of the surgery was hushed as a few patients sat trembling in the waiting room. Each time the doctor's door opened; the patients would cower in fear as they preemptively tried to catch a glimpse of him. Hugo's wife reluctantly made her way down the basement steps and into the practice. As she opened the door, the young lad sat by the desk welcomed her in.

 _"Ah, hallo Mathilda!"_ The young man smiled and waved over. The woman cautiously made her way over to the desk as she looked around the reception.

 _"H-hallo, Johan. I am -- my husband is not getting any better. I zhink ve need zhe need zhe doctor"_ , she whispered as her voice wavered. The young man smiled before opening the large book in front of him.

 _"Jou should have brought him sooner. Dr von Rohr has time later zhis evening. I'll speak to him now und he vill call in a few hours"_ , Johan explained. Mathilda nodded quietly before turning to leave. She immediately stopped as she heard the consulting room door creak open. An elderly gentleman emerged as he quickly made his way out. As she tried to catch a glimpse inside, a tall man also emerged from the room.

 _"Oh, Doctor von Rohr! I have a patient who needs to see jou. His wife here has requested jou see him but he's housebound. Jou have time zhis evening und I suggested zhat you vould call later on"_ , Johan called out - _catching the doctor's attention._ The man wore a white coat with a crisp white shirt and blue silk tie underneath. His black suit trousers were impeccably free of creases and his black welted shoes were perfectly polished.

The young doctor turned to Johan and Mathilda as she stood looking on with morbid curiosity. He sauntered over to them before speaking.

 _"Vhat is wrong vith him?"_ Dr von Rohr snapped impatiently without looking at the woman.

 _"He uh-- collapsed four days ago at vork. He does not seem to be getting better now matter how long he rests"_ , Matilda said tearfully. The doctor ignored her emotional state and quickly turned to Johan before issuing an order.

 _"Johan, I require mein doctor's bag. Fetch it for me und I vill shee to him now"_ , the doctor commanded. The young man quickly got up to get it without any hesitation. He seemed completely comfortable around the doctor and unphased by his terrifying demeanour. As they waited for Johan to return, Dr von Rohr shook off his white coat before putting on his suit jacket.

 _"Show me vhere he is"_ , the doctor snapped at Mathilda. She pointed up before turning to leave. Dr von Rohr grabbed his leather doctor's bag and marched behind her. They briskly climbed the stairs before entering the flat. Hugo lay in bed as he heard footfall enter the flat. His eyes widened at the sight of the doctor before he looked to his wife.

 _"Hugo, Doctor von Rohr has come to see jou. Jou're not getting better no matter vhat I try"_ , Mathilda explained as she tried to calm him down.

The doctor walked over to Hugo before he stopped - _as his bag thudded against the floor._ He opened it and began extracting various pieces of equipment as he readied to set to work on the man. The doctor had been completely absorbed in the task at hand and failed to look at Hugo's face. When he finally lifted his head to look at him; the doctor jerked back slightly as he took in the man's disfigurement. Instead of the usual horrified look Hugo received, the doctor simply smiled.

 _"I am going to examine jou, Mr Lang"_ , the doctor ordered as Hugo reluctantly allowed him. Ten minutes had passed before Dr von Rohr was satisfied with the examination. He quickly slid his equipment back into his bag before closing it and standing up.

 _"I shee jou have vhat looks like shrapnel vounds. Vhere zhey able to remove every piece?"_ The doctor enquired.

 _"N- no, zhey said zhere vas some lodged in my brain, Doctor"_ , Hugo quivered.

 _"Ahhh, as I zhought. Zhe shrapnel is affecting jour brain. It vill require surgery to remove"_ , the doctor explained with a malicious smile.

 _"I vill book jou in to have it removed"_ , Dr von Rohr stated abruptly before turning to leave - _completely oblivious to Hugo's distress._

_End of part two..._


	3. Chapter Three: Dr Karl von Rohr Pt. 2

Two days later, Hugo was carried down to the practice by the local men. Dr von Rohr commandeered the situation as he ordered Hugo to be taken into the makeshift operating theatre - _next to the consulting room._ He demanded the man be laid down on the table and the men did as they were told. Mathilda had been ordered to stay in the flat on Dr von Rohr's orders. He found women irritating enough as it was nevermind one that was wrought with worry and crying profusely.

The men left the room leaving Hugo alone with the doctor. Dr von Rohr stared at the man in utter fascination before walking over to close the door. As the latch clicked shut, the doctor swung his head back around to look at Hugo before his body did the same. He shrugged off his white coat and began putting on his surgeon's overalls and mask as Hugo looked on in horror. He then stalked over to the sink as he began to scrub up.

 _"H_ _\- h- Herr Doktor--"_ , Hugo stuttered as he shivered with fright. The doctor stood by the sink with his back turned to Hugo before interrupting the terrified man.

 _"Nein! Do not talk._ _ **I am busy**_ _"_ , Dr von Rohr hissed before turning off the faucet. The man jumped and remained silent as ordered. Dr von Rohr continued his preparations in silence. The cuffs of his latex gloves echoed against the walls of the room as they snapped against his wrists as he put them on.

After a few minutes, the doctor walked away from the panicking patient before rolling over a trolley containing forceps, scalpels, artery clamps and various other surgical paraphernalia. The doctor left the trolley stationed next to Hugo; who lifted his head and began whimpering when he tried to catch a glimpse of the equipment. His whimpering was short lived though as he jumped at the sudden jerk of the table moving beneath him.

The doctor had begun to raise the bed into a seated position. The bed was separated into three sections allowing it to turn into a chair or elevate the patient's legs as required. The stiff mechanism of the bed clanked and clunked as he manipulated Hugo into the correct position.

Once it had been achieved, Dr von Rohr walked around to Hugo who was once again eyeing the equipment on the trolley. Hugo was now able to see the contents much more clearly - _triggering a panic attack._ The poor man began to hyperventilate as his face went pale and ashen. The doctor rolled his eyes in annoyance before glaring down at Hugo.

 _"Mr Lang! Control jourshelf!_ " The doctor snapped irritatedly. Unsurprisingly, this did little in the way of calming the man down. Hugo continued to hyperventilate before Dr von Rohr quickly thrust a syringe into the man's arm and swiftly pushed the plunger.

As the suspension slithered into his veins, Hugo began to relax as his eyes closed and his face settled into a deep restful sleep. The reception was empty except for Johan who sat working away in the reception - _seemingly unaffected by the sound of bone saws and the smell of cauterised flesh._

Dr von Rohr first removed a piece of skull to expose the brain before setting to work. His incisions were textbook and his hands moved with such precision as he meticulously removed every piece of shrapnel with the upmost finesse. The surgery lasted eight hours in total - _including the extra work he decided to carry out on Hugo._

Later that evening, Hugo awoke with a groan. As he stirred in the makeshift hospital bed: his eyes opened. The initial flood of light revealed only the silhouette of a man seated at the desk nearby. When he heard Hugo, he stood up and marched over.

 _"Ahh, zhe patient is avake I shee!"_ The doctor sang happily. Hugo looked up to see Dr von Rohr before wincing in pain.

 _"V-vhy does my face hurt so badly? I zhought it vas just my head"_ , Hugo slurred groggily.

 _"Do not vorry, I shimply carried out an extra procedure sheeing as jou vere shimply_ _ **right zher**_ _e... all nice_ _und_ _prepped for surgery. I finished zhe procedure early too!"_ The doctor happily explained with a devious grin.

 _"V-v- vhat extra procedure?!"_ Hugo cried out in panic before being shooshed.

 _"Bitte, Mr Lang. Jou must rest._ _Zhe_ _stress might interfere_ _vith_ _zhe_ _healing process"_ , the doctor cooed before returning to his seat. The desk before him was made from sturdy oak with a red inlay. The surface was cluttered with paperwork and patient files which were chaotically splayed out across it.

The only other space on the desk - _reserved for something other than paperwork_ \- was occupied by a brass name plate which sat at the front. It faced towards the seat opposite - _in the direct line of fire of patients._ The nameplate was machine embossed and read _"Doktor Karl von Rohr M.D"._

The next day, the local men were sent to collect Hugo and return him to his flat. His whole head was wrapped with bandages which obscured anyone from seeing even his face. Dr von Rohr would visit the flat every day to check the progress of Hugo's recovery as well as change bandages. Though, he made sure to do so only when Mathilda or the children were not present and frequently sent them away so he could work alone.

After a month of intensive wound management, the doctor finally announced to Hugo that the bandages could be permanently removed. He excitedly but carefully unwrapped the gauze to reveal the healing incision sites. The doctor sat back in awe as a smug grin crept across his face. After composing himself, he leaned forward to inspect everything.

 _"Mein gött!"_ The doctor cried with joy before removing a small mirror from his doctor's bag and presenting it to Hugo. The man gingerly took the mirror before turning it to his face. As his face came into view; his eyes widened with shock.

 _"Vhat?! J-jou...did zhis?!"_ Hugo cried in shock.

 _"Oh, ja. 'Tis mein own handivork"_ , the doctor replied nodding his head. Mathilda was waiting outside when she heard her husband's voice. The shrill tone worried her; causing her to instinctively enter the room as she rushed to his aid.

 _"Hugo! Vhat is zhe matter, my love?!"_ She exclaimed before her arms dropped by her sides. The doctor looked around at her - _beaming_ _with egotistical pride_ \- as he revelled in the woman's reaction.

 _"It is beautiful-- isn't it?!"_ The doctor replied breathlessly.

Hugo looked at the doctor before his eyes filled with tears. Mathilda ran over to him before holding him close to her.

 _"Mathilda, my dear. Look at vhat_ _zhe_ _doctor has done!"_ Hugo proclaimed through his sobbing.

 _"Ahhh, mein vork here is done"_ , the doctor whispered to himself as he gathered his things and slunked his way out the door.

Hugo's wounds successfully healed and he returned to the factory. His facial disfigurement had been so profound that small children were often scared of him. He had become so extremely self-conscious about it that he would allow the soot and ash of the day to accumulate on his face in order to try and obscure his disfigurement.

However, the first day he returned to work, everyone turned their heads in shock. Hugo was clean shaven without a speck of dirt on his face - _he was a new man._ The locals began to gossip as word got around about Hugo. Rumours began to fly about the doctor's work and patients began to flock to the practice.

Dr von Rohr had been known as a highly unprofessional doctor with an appalling bedside manner. But one thing was indisputable - _he was an extremely talented surgeon and his work was impeccable._

Whilst Hugo had on the operating table, the doctor had challenged himself to work on Hugo's facial disfigurement. He had done such an impressive job painstakingly reconstructing and restoring the facial bones - _especially given the extent of the disfigurement._

And Hugo allowed Dr von Rohr to showcase his capabilites for all to see. Word spread like wildfire and people from all over the city began to make their pilgrimage to the practice. On top of his usual patients, many would also come requesting cosmetic procedures - _which the doctor would do for a price._

It wasn't long before the elites of the day caught wind of the doctor's work and quickly ditched their wealthy surgeons in favour of him. After a few years, Dr von Rohr was elevated from a back alley plastic surgeon to a highly sought after medic. He eventually left the poverty of the East End as he was welcomed into the inner circle of the aristocratic elite of the Weimar Republic.

He soon made enough money to furnish a lavish apartment in the West End of the city and attended many extravagant parties. During such parties, he was always flanked by an entourage of patients who followed him around and worshipped his every word.

Dr von Rohr mingled amongst powerful and influential people and found himself hosting dinner parties for magistrates, politicians and criminal kingpins alike. The contacts he had previously acquired in the underworld were mere minions compared to these people.

They all had their vices, be it: drug abuse, pedophilia, human trafficking or organ trade. Yet they remained in positions of power without question - _because they were above the law._ They allowed Dr von Rohr to finally embrace his own vices. And, _most importantly_ , they elevated him above the law.

Many of the elites of the time advocated eugenics which allowed the doctor to carry out all manner of experiments with warped justification and immunity from the law. They didn't just _approve_ of his work - _they encouraged it._

This kept Dr von Rohr firmly out of the reach of any ambitious police detective or gavel thumping judge. He swiftly shed his alias and began practicing under his real name - _Doctor Edward Richtofen._

After Richtofen left behind his life with Hans and Dr Roth; he had wormed his way back into the seedy underworld. Only a week had gone by since his departure and he had already established the medical practice. The dimly lit basement flat he had chosen was a fitting choice.

Once again, he had found himself amongst the poorest in society. Though, it was a step up being in the city this time rather than the simple-mindedness of rural life. He had worked for a while in the medical practice before he saw his opportunity in Hugo.

Richtofen had assumed the identity of Dr Karl von Rohr - _the surname paying homage to the Bavarian count he_ _believed_ _to_ _be_ _his father._ His alias had allowed any potential repercussions from the authorities to quell as the underfunded police force quickly closed the case.

By 1930, Richtofen routinely carried out sadistic experiments on his unwitting victims - _safe_ _in_ _the knowledge that everything_ _would_ _always be_ _covered_ _up._

_End of part three..._


	4. Chapter Four: The Hivemind

A multitude of stars illuminated the night sky as not a cloud dared blemish the heavenly scene. Hollowed out buildings littered the horizon as abandoned cars lay strewn on the fading roads. Amongst the examinate, achromic, man-made ruins; vivid green shoots had already begun to emerge from the rust and dust.

Kiana lay sleeping whilst Primis poured over Richtofen's notes. They had decided to spend the evening in the safety of the projector room until they figured out their next move. There were no undead around as if the horde had all gathered to pursue Richtofen. But the room still provided protection from them - _should they return._

Primis rubbed his temples in frustration. Kiana had explained that the story had been sparse on details as to how Richtofen made his way to the cosmodrome. It just seemed so unlikely that the lunar lander could have flown the great distance between Germany and Russia without requiring refuelling - _especially so if the landers in Ascension were anything to go by._ They needed refueling every time the crew used them around the map.

On top of that, the biggest question still remained; Kiana and Primis had to figure out their _own_ way to get to the Cosmodrome as well. Primis sat at Richtofen's desk as he tried to glimmer some clues - _or coordinates_. They needed something which could help get them there before Richtofen. Kiana _at least_ knew the purpose of Richtofen's journey to the Russian facility - _which was_ _to_ _retrieve_ _his diary._ And Primis wanted nothing more than to get to it first and be the one to hold the advantage.

Though, _for now_ , sleep began to call to him which - _like_ _Richtofen_ \- also caused him to feel dread and anxiety. He, _too_ , had a violent and amoral past which he would claim was a mere consequence of he and Maxis' noble quest and was " _for the greater_ _good_ ".

But, since he became self-aware of his psychopathic nature and was now willing to confront it; he had at least stopped short of the precipice. This self-awareness allowed him to look into the abyss and see the fate he narrowly escaped. _The same descent_ _into_ _madness_ _that_ _Richtofen found himself_ _struggling_ _to crawl out from._

But, _regardless_ , the guilt of his past deeds would always rear its ugly head without fail whenever the sun set and the stillness of the night crept in. The spectres he _had_ accumulated so far - _at the age of thirty-three_ \- would awaken to torment him as they gambolled around in his mind and invaded even his most intimate thoughts.

Though, _this evening_ , he was to be shown mercy and spared these feelings of vexation. Primis leaned back in his chair as a wave of overwhelming exhaustion swept over him. He quietly got up and made sure the door to the projector room was indeed bolted closed. He then made his way to Kiana as he lay down near her and wrapped himself in his blanket.

His eyelids weighed heavily as he fought to keep them open; though, every few seconds they would lower and obscure his vision before he jolted awake. Primis wanted to take one last look at Kiana before going to sleep - _he wanted the last image in his mind before he dreamt to be of something pretty._

She lay on her side facing towards him - _her face now serene and peaceful._ Primis knew the usual frown she carried around all day was simply her way of dealing with the world. Because, _when she spoke_ , her words were always full of concern and care for the wellbeing of others. He understood her frustration with life as he thought back to when he was her age - _and how jaded he already was by twenty-four_ _._

In the heady daze of fatigue, images began to appear in Primis' mind. Images of Kiana looking up at him appeared as they faded in and out whilst he watched the scene through the eyes of another. Suddenly, he became inundated with fragments of a memory which was not his.

Pieces of the memory began to come into focus with eery familiarity: handcuffs, the projector room, Kiana's face as it crumpled, her shrill piercing cry. The blade of the knife as it tore into the wooden window sill - _the very sill whose_ _wound_ _he had traced with his fingers when they returned to the room._ The broken cuff that still hung from the projector, the pieces of warped chain links that scattered themselves across the floor - _their origins began to make sense._

But most importantly, Primis remembered the embrace. The nape of his neck tingled as he watched through the same unknown eyes as Kiana reached up and put her hand on the unknown man's nape. The sensation of his arms wrapped around her waist felt both new and familiar. He began to feel weak and overwhelmed at the ghostly trace of her lips against his.

But just as Primis found himself in the eye of the whirlwind - _pondering_ _who's_ _perspective_ _he was watching from_ \- Kiana finally spoke to the unknown man.

 _"Edward..."_ Her voice called out in a faint whisper.

_Primis_ _knew in that moment that_ _this was Richtofen's memory of what transpired when they were alone._

He felt conflicted as he tried to fight through what Richtofen had felt and appraise his own feelings on what had transpired. The intense manic love which Richtofen had felt now suffocated Primis as he felt the tragic urgency in Richtofen's desire to feel loved. It was unsettling how someone like Richtofen - _who had tried so very hard to devoid_ _himself_ _of any emotion_ \- had clamoured desperately for the affection of another.

Both men were very different, more so than even their age difference conveyed - _they housed two very different_ _personalities_ _._ Yet, the universe they shared had bound them together as mere iterations of the same person. But the disruption caused by Richtofen's tampering with the fabric of space and time had now allowed them to share the same space - _and memories._

There was always a delay between a memory being formed in Richtofen's mind and it becoming accessible to Primis. But, _the_ _more_ _he thought_ , in his groggy state; the more he realised the advantage of this hivemind. Surely, whatever Richtofen was doing _now_ would soon be unlocked within Primis' mind.

It would allow Kiana and Primis to keep track of Richtofen as he continued to carry out his Grand Scheme - _albeit with a slight delay._ But, it also made sense to assume that this power worked both ways. _And perhaps_ _Richtofen_ _knew_ _this when he left_ _Primis_ _behind with_ _Kiana_ _._

Once the thought formed itself with crytal clear clarity in Primis' mind; he soon lost his fight against the weight of sleep. His body cried out with exhaustion as his mind finally permitted himself rest. The matter would be better discussed first thing in the morning with a refreshed mind.

_Or so he thought..._

_End of part four..._


	5. Update

My apologies for the lack of a chapter tonight 😭😭😭

I'm just home now and heading straight to bed I'm so exhausted. I'm very small and tired, need much sleep.

I shall publish the next chapter tomorrow ASAP. I won't wait until my usual time of 10pm-11pm to make up for the delay. 🥰🥰🥰

Hope everyone is keeping well and thank you so much for sticking with the story so far! ❤❤❤


	6. Chapter Five: Samantha's Return

As I lay asleep, my mind began to echo with the laughter of a child. I suddenly awoke to be met with silence; which caused me to question what I had just perceived to be real. When I sat up and looked around - _Primis was nowhere to be found._ His blankets lay next to me in a dishevelled state which indicated that he arose suddenly like I did.

The projector room was empty but I quickly noticed that although the door to the room was closed, _the bolts had not been fastened._ As I peered out of the window which looked out onto the stage; I noticed it that was night time as the moonlight beamed down into the threatre through the ruptures in the ceiling. The familiar heaviness of the still air reminded me of my previous encounters with Samantha. _Was_ _this her doing?_

I calmly got up and readied my pistol. After quickly putting on my shoes; I hastily made a beeline for the door. I was definitely getting used to Samantha's visits but what surprised me was the fact that she had even decided to pay me a visit again. Given our last encounter, she had made it relatively clear that she saw no use in continuing them.

I quietly opened the door to minimise the sound of the creaking hinges; slithering out the gap to begin climbing through the blockade of furniture. Once both feet were firmly on the ground at the bottom of the landing; I steeled myself and took a deep breath before unholstering my pistol.

The journey through the winding corridors and vacant offices was more unsettling than the last time. The air was wrought with tension as I waded through the dense atmosphere. I felt the hairs on my body begin to stand on end as the air felt electrified with a static charge.

The whole building seemed devoid of any life. The air was stale and musty as everything seemed aged and covered in a shroud of dust. It seemed like a substantial amount of time had passed as the building and its contents had fallen even further into disrepair.

I finally made my way down the stairs and on to the stage as I simply stood and looked out in all directions. There was no noise - _no indication of where to go next._ I usually relied on Samantha to at least guide me during her labyrinthine nightmares.

And then, _as if she had read my thoughts,_ I heard a small noise come from the lobby. I instinctively gripped my pistol and headed to the source - _my face setting into a look of deep determination._ I practically ran up the stairs as I stopped in front of the main entrance.

The whole building was surrounded by a heavy mist which phosphoresced with the florescent moonlight. There was no one in the lobby - _and it looked like no one had ever been there._ I began to worry that my mind was playing tricks on me. _Surely not?_ Was Samantha toying with me?

The ethereal look which had taken over and enveloped the threatre only strengthened my assertion that I was still dreaming. Yet, the feelings of abandonment and loneliness felt all too real. Primis would never leave me behind - _that I was sure of_ \- but a small voice of doubt began to gnaw away at me.

 _"He has_ _ **not**_ _left you._ _ **It's Samantha.**_ _She's just messing with you!"_ I reaffirmed to myself aloud.

 _"Samantha, stop the stupid games! Just show me where to go!"_ I shouted out in frustration. My voice bellowed its way through the bowels of the building before coming to a dead silence. And then, I was left standing alone with no response. _There was not even as much as a stir from the wind._

I definitely knew Samantha was playing games with me now - _but it still made me angry nonetheless._ I could feel the irritation welling up as the anger began to course through my body. I holstered my pistol and began to scour every inch of the theatre. I jogged from room to room hoping for any clue as to where I should go next.

But, _every time_ , the trail remained cold. The dust on every surface remained undisturbed, there were no foot prints - _there was absolutely no trace of life._ Once I had checked everywhere, I finally made my way to the speed cola room. I sat at the bar table with the gatling gun and buried my head in my hands.

 _"To heck with this..."_ I whispered to myself in defeat.

 _"Awww, giving up_ _ **so**_ _soon, Kiana? How_ _ **PATHETIC**_ _!"_ Samantha mocked and jeered. Her voice had no direction to it; it felt like it was everywhere at once. It made me feel odd and unsettled before I quickly deduced that she must have been speaking directly in my mind.

 _"I thought we were done with the childish games, Samantha?"_ I called out in a rather stern, displeased tone. There was no response.

 _"Oh what do you want? Can't you just cut to the chase already?"_ I huffed with an irritated sigh.

 _"Und_ _ **vhere**_ _is zhe_ _ **fun**_ _in_ _ **zhat**_ _?!"_ Samantha finally spat back. Her games were beyond frustrating and annoying and her response really irritated me. It felt like such an invasion of my being the way she could manipulate my dreams and mess with my mind. I quickly stood up - _flinging my chair back with the force_ \- as I slammed my fists on the table.

 _"WHAT. DO. YOU. WANT?!"_ I bellowed angrily.

 _"Why can't you just let me fix this myself? What does a kid like you know anyway?"_ I added - _knowing fine well that she did not like being treated like a child._ But she deserved to be when she acted like one. And I knew jabbing at her insecurity would inspire her to finally cut to the chase.

Suddenly, a dark shadow appeared by the MP40 wall chalk. The shadow was more like a black fog which moved like a living organism. Each strand of the mist undulated like a beating pulse as it became more and more intense. Then, it stopped in midair as the strands began to form a human shape. The strands slithered around the silhouette like a mess of snakes before they eroded away to dust - _and revealed Samantha._

 _"_ _ **I**_ _have_ _ **seen**_ _zhe mysteries of zhe Aether._ _ **I**_ _have_ _ **become vone**_ _vith it._ _ **I**_ _**know**_ _zhe very secrets of zhis universe und it's complexities... yet,_ _ **jou**_ _have zhe_ _ **AUDACITY**_ _to call me a_ _ **CHILD**_ _?!"_ Samantha screamed as her voice alternated between her own and something more demonic.

 _"Oh yes, you know all about a fictional universe - which mine created"_ , I said offhandishly - _fully intending to rile her up further._

 _"_ _ **HOW DARE JOU!**_ _"_ Samantha cried as she began to mutate into a demonic being. Her teeth elongated into sharp fangs and her eyes imbued with a fiery crimson glow. Her hands grew into long claws as the area of the room she stood in began to decay and wither away to ashes. The tiled floor began loosen and fall upwards as her rage slowly enveloped the room.

 _"Samantha! Please..."_ , a familiar German accent called out - _causing Samantha to suddenly halt her destructive outburst._

_End of part five..._


	7. Chapter Six: A Deal With The Devil

_"Samantha, cease zhis_ _ **at vonce**_ _!"_ The familiar German voice commanded. Samantha scowled at me in frustration before protesting.

 _"But vhy, fazher? She zhinks she knows it_ _ **all**_ _!"_ Samantha fulminated like a disobedient child. Her form distorted with static-like interference as it transposed between demonic and human.

 _"Maxis?"_ I quietly whispered aloud in confusion as I looked around.

 _"Jou are correct"_ , the voice immediately replied with a deep, low growl. Maxis was nowhere to be seen yet I could hear his disembodied voice. By now, Samantha had reverted to her normal human form. The damage to the room began to reverse and everything reassembled itself.

 _"Maybe_ _ **you**_ _can tell me why I'm here then?"_ I asked Maxis - _ignoring Samantha's gowlering glare._

 _"Samantha, take her to Edward"_ , Maxis asked - _this time gently and fatherly._ The girl nodded before grinning at me.

 _"Jou are going to have to come vith me,_ _ **Daddy says so!**_ _"_ She smiled before lunging towards me as I began to feel numb and blacked out.

When I awoke, Primis sat by my side as he leaned over me to check I was breathing. His face was mere millimetres away from mine when he realised I had opened my eyes. His breath suddenly caught in his throat before he quickly pulled back and began apologising profusely.

 _"I- uh - I didn't mean to--"_ , he stuttered awkwardly.

 _"It's okay. You don't need to apologise for checking if I was still alive -- even if we are in some kind of dream where we probably_ _can't_ _really die"_ , I said sarcastically in the hope my dry sense of humour would put him at ease. _He never could stop being a_ _doctor_ _._

 _"Where the heck are we?"_ I asked, changing the subject as I sat up and looked around. Everything around us was an amorphous amalgam of colours; it was like we were in the heart of a nebula. Well, what one would look like if we _could_ see the cosmic mix of dust and gases as colours with the naked eye.

 _"It appears ve have travelled into zhe Aether. Vell, not physically at least. Ve sheem to be having some kind of collective dream"_ , Primis explained.

 _"Hm, so Samantha contacted you in your sleep too then?"_ I said dryly before Primis nodded in confirmation.

 _"Ja, she und Maxis said zhey vanted to reach out to us"_ , Primis began. He seemed to indicate that they had engaged in discussion already.

 _"Maxis convinced Samanzha to contact us again. He vants to help us"_ , Primis added.

 _"I seem to have been late to the party"_ , I remarked to myself.

 _"Ve can hear_ _ **everyzhing**_ _, jou know! Even_ _ **jour**_ _zhoughts..._ " Samantha snarled, as she indicated both she and Maxis were privy to even our internal thoughts. Her voice seemed to have some kind of direction to it this time as Primis and I both instinctively turned around to look at her. We were slightly taken aback by what we saw though as both Samantha and Maxis appeared in their human forms.

 _"Doctor Maxis!"_ Primis exclaimed. He treated Richtofen's Maxis much like he did his own - _with great warmth and respect._

 _"I do not hold anyzhing against jou, Edward. Jou are_ _ **nozhing**_ _like him. So please, you can be at ease"_ , Maxis began as he looked at Primis with kindness and reassurance.

 _"I vant jou both to listen to me. As long as I am trapped in zhe Aether I can still help jou. Kiana, jou know zhat zhis vill change vhen Edward reaches the Moon"_ , Maxis began to explain as he alluded to his knowledge of me and my arrival.

 _"I can stop him if we get to Russia. But I don't know where the Cosmodrome is. And--"_ , I began before Maxis cut me off.

 _"Yes, und jou vant to know how to get zhere - und_ _ **before**_ _Edward does"_ , Maxis finished my sentence as I nodded.

 _"Ve vill help jou"_ , Maxis stated before Samantha looked up at him with disapproval.

 _"It only levels zhe playing field._ _ **Surely**_ _jou don't zhink Edward is doing_ _ **all zhis**_ _vithout his own ethereal allies? He is not z_ _ **hat**_ _smart jou know..."_ Maxis asked rhetorically before ending with the low jibe.

 _"Ve can get jou zhere. But, I ask for vone zhing in return"_ , Maxis stated as Primis and I both looked at eachother in anticipation.

 _"_ _ **I vant jou to put him down.**_ _Jou may have refused my daughter's request for zhis but jou have left me no choice but to force jour hand"_ , Maxis said sternly as he looked at me.

 _"Fine"_ , I said nonchalantly - _taking Primis by surprise._

 _"Kiana--"_ , Primis tried to protest before I quickly shut him down.

 _"I am quite frankly sick and tired of trying to help him. You are right, Maxis. He does need to be put down"_ , I continued as I looked directly at Maxis and ignored Primis. Samantha eyed me with suspicion.

 _"Hm, jou have had a change of heart?"_ Maxis questioned.

 _"Aye, he's a lost cause -- he's an incurable monster. I know that nothing I can say will ever get through that thick skull of his. Plus, I cannot forgive him for leaving Edward at the mercy of those creatures. It's a miracle he even survived"_ , I explained candidly as I walked everyone through my thought processes. Though, Primis went as white as a sheet at the mention of him narrowly avoiding being eaten alive by the undead.

 _"Und do jou_ _ **know**_ _vhat caused zhe undead to spare him?"_ Maxis queried.

 _"Yes, I believe it was Samantha. Which I should have thanked you for"_ , I said as I nodded at the girl.

 _"Not so childish now?"_ She snarled back irritatedly as she crossed her arms and shot me another glare.

 _"I'm sure jou know zhat zhe undead only follow Edward-- zhe_ _ **Edward**_ _who did_ _ **this**_ _to us"_ Maxis explained as I nodded.

 _"Jou are_ _ **sure**_ _jou can put him down vhen zhe time comes?"_ Maxis asked as he narrowed his eyes at me.

 _"Yes, it must be done"_ I said solemnly.

 _"If jou_ _ **do not**_ _follow zhrough I vill see to it zhat_ _ **jou**_ _are pursued by zhe undead --_ _ **to jour very last breazh**_ _"_ , Maxis warned malevolently.

 _"Any chance of getting me home to my universe if I do it?"_ I asked casually.

 _"Ve vill talk about zhat_ _ **after**_ _jou do it"_ , Maxis quickly replied dismissively.

 _"Vhen jou vake up, jou vill both be at zhe Cosmodrome._ _ **Do not**_ _disappoint me"_ , Maxis snapped before he clicked his fingers.

Primis and I both fell to the ground as we both passed out in the dream. Sure enough, when we woke up we were in the starting room for Ascension.

 _"Are jou alright?"_ Primis asked in his usual caring manner.

 _"_ _I'm_ _fine,_ _thanks_ _"_ I said before pausing and frowning. Primis looked at me in confusion before I continued.

 _"You know, no one ever asks how you are. And_ _I'm_ _sorry for not realising until now"_ , I said with a small empathetic smile.

 _ **"How are y**_ _ **ou feeling, Edward?"**_ I asked as he looked extremely taken aback.

 _"I- um- well--_ _I'm_ _okay, zhank jou",_ he replied as he stumbled through his words. I don't think anyone truly did ever ask how _he_ felt. It was sad to think about.

We had been laying directly underneath the centrifuge with our belongings _\- well, all my stuff really_ \- strewn next to us. Primis began to stand up before I cautioned him about the centrifuge.

 _"It will spin around whenever anyone uses one of the landers. You'll see what I mean when Richtofen and the guys get here"_ , I explained.

Primis gingerly got up as he kept an eye on the machine before helping me up. I gathered my things into a small tan leather satchel Primis found for me back at the theatre.

"Vhere are ve going to hide vhilst ve vait for zhem to arrive?" Primis enquired as we began to brainstorm a plan.

 _"Richtofen will likely seek out another office to station himself in. If_ _I_ _were to guess_ _I'd_ _say he would_ _choose_ _the room below the power_ _switch_ _. This facility is_ _quite_ _open and it feels_ _like_ _that would be the only room where he would feel the most hidden and tucked away"_ , I began to hypothesise before Primis frowned at me.

 _"Did jou really mean_ _zhat_ _about him?"_ He asked lowly before I raised an eyebrow.

 _"Did jou mean vhat jou said to Maxis?"_ He asked again impatiently. I paused briefly before I caught myself and gave my response.

 _"Yes..."_ , I replied in a faint whisper.

_Primis' eyes widened in disbelief._

_End of part six..._


	8. Update To Schedule

Hi guys, I'm really struggling atm to put out each chapter every other day.

In the run up to Christmas I've been super busy with work etc so I was thinking that I should change the upload schedule to every two days - just until the new year. You know what us Scottish people are like with New Year celebrations! 😉

I hope that's okay 😅 xxx I just don't want to churn out unpolished work when everything's hectic during the holidays.

But rest assured! We shall be back to the original schedule of every other day from January 2nd when I'll have more time available to put all my love into my work! 🥰🥰🥰 xxx

Thank you to everyone who supports my work! I will never be able to express how much I truly appreciate it 😭😭😭❤❤❤ xxx


	9. Chapter Seven: A Christmas Special Pt. 1

A few days had passed since we arrived at the cosmodrome. Primis and I hadn't spoken much about our plan - _or lack thereof._ He hadn't even made the effort to _try_ and figure one out; and, he certainly wasn't the type to go blindly into something. I wondered if he had begun to doubt that I would follow through on what I promised to Maxis. _Or perhaps he had been suspicious from the start?_ Either way, I had to keep such thoughts out of my mind.

We had established a living quarters in the centrifuge room; _more specifically_ , the area where the lunar lander docks at the beginning of the game. The small room where the Juggernog machine is located seemed so cosy; but instinct and habit had caused us to seek out somewhere which would prevent any unexpected ambush of undead.

There was really not much to do; we simply had to wait. We sat on our makeshift beds as I tried to wrap myself in my blanket whilst in deep thought. It _must_ have been close to the 6th of November by now - _the day when Richtofen and the guys would finally arrive at the cosmodrome._ But it also meant that it was going to be Christmas soon - _back home._ I had made sure to count the nights I spent here since I arrived in this universe. I figured you would lose track of your own time otherwise - _especially when_ _you're_ _travelling between_ _different time periods._

My heart sank at the thought of Christmas coming and going with my family still not knowing where I was. In fact, it made me feel absolutely awful. And the knowledge of this had made me quieter than usual; which Primis _had_ taken note of. But, I knew he was not good talking about feelings and emotions.

Primis sat beside me and was trying his best to occupy himself with notes and paperwork; which he had scribbled on as he tried to figure out why no one had arrived to meet us yet. But it was more than evident that the impatience was gnawing away at him.

 _"Verdammit! Vhere zhe hell are zhey?!"_ Primis exclaimed in frustration. I was torn from my thoughts before turning to look at him.

 _"Don't worry, Edward. They should be here any day. I know it's boring having to wait but--"_ , I stopped as I let out a sigh. Primis turned to face me with a look of concern.

 _"Kiana, please tell me vhat is wrong?"_ Primis asked as he looked into my eyes with compassion and concern in his own.

 _"Oh, it's nothing. Really"_ , I responded dismissively - _I really did_ _not_ _want to worry him further._ Primis looked away and we sat in silence. But, just as I was about to immerse myself in my thoughts; he turned to look at me again and took a deep breath to compose himself before speaking.

 _"Jou have been quiet since ve arrived. I know jou made zhe promise to Maxis but I vorry zhat zhe veight of zhis burden is too much for jou to bear"_ , Primis finally blurted out. He really was awkward with emotional matters. _But regardless_ , _I always appreciated his efforts._

 _"I can deal with that, Edward. It's just-- it's just... I'm feeling down thinking about back home. It'll be Christmas soon there_ _; the same day_ _Richtofen_ _is fated to arrive here in this universe._ _I've_ _been keeping track of how many days have passed in my universe_ _by_ _counting the nights_ _I_ _spend in this one._ _It's just sad to think my that family have been worrying about where I am for all this time. And I'm not even there to celebrate the holidays with them"_ , I quickly blurted out in return.

I felt bad overwhelming him but I selfishly wanted to talk about it. To be honest, I felt relieved just saying how I felt out loud. I didn't really need any kind words - _they_ _couldn't_ _really change things anyways._

But, _suddenly_ , Primis put his arm around me as he tried to comfort me. I knew it was hard for him to do but I appreciated him going outside of his own comfort zone. _Yet, I still felt so awful for complaining about not being able to see my family... when he never really had one at all._ I hated times like these where I felt needy.

 _"Zhere zhere, I know it must be hard"_ , Primis whispered in his deep German accent. I put an arm around his waist as I battled to hold back the tears. We sat there quietly without as much as another word before our ears pricked up. There was a low rumbling sound which bellowed in the distance. It was almost like the sound of an aircraft - _or a lunar lander._

 _"I think that's them!"_ We both said at the same time before looking at eachother in surprise.

 _"Quick, ve must grab our zhings!_ _Ve_ _cannot_ _alert_ _zhem_ _to our presence!"_ Primis exclaimed. We jumped to our feet before hurriedly grabbing the blankets and belongings.

 _"Where will we hide?!"_ I asked with panic. We couldn't exactly open any doors in the map without giving away our presence. Primis and I looked around the room as we tried to find a hiding spot. Then, his eyes fell on something.

 _"Look! Ve need to hide in zhe centrifuge!"_ Primis finally responded. I turned to look at him in horror as I felt nauseous at the sheer thought of being flung around in it. _Especially since it comes to life whenever a lunar lander docks in the room._

 _"But!"_ I tried to protest before conceding that there was simply nowhere else to hide. I allowed him to drag me up into the chamber of the centrifuge.

 _"You know, this really isn't safe bringing loose objects into the chamber with us. I'd rather not get taken out by my own bag"_ , I said dryly with a smile as Primis realised and agreed.

 _"Give me jour bag"_ , Primis asked quickly before climbing back out of the chamber. I watched as he ran over to one of the barriers and threw our stuff behind some debris. He sprinted back over to the centrifuge before climbing in and closing the hatch.

 _"Quick, zhe restraints!"_ Primis ordered as we both buckled up. The sound of the lunar lander was steadily approaching the cosmodrome facility. I began to fill with panic as I anticipated the lander setting off the centrifuge. My feelings must have been written all over my face as Primis now turned to look at me.

 _"It vill be okay"_ , Primis tried to reassure me as I felt ill at the mere thought of being spun around in this torture machine of doom. I felt the colour drain from my face as I knew it was going to be _far_ from okay.

 _"I get motion sickness on a bike nevermind this stupid thing!"_ I replied hyperbolically in my sarcastic Scottish tone - _always resorting to saying something humorous in bad situations._

 _"I promise, jou vill be fine. It's just going to be some vertigo und nausea und dizziness... und digestive upset--"_ , Primis whispered as he tried to reassure me again before I cut him off.

 _"Not helping!"_ I said sharply - _through gritted teeth_ \- as the rumble of the lander was now deafening. It hovered above us as it prepared to dock.

 _"Zhey are docking!"_ Primis murmured with an involuntary grimace as we listened to the lander begin to descend. Suddenly, the centrifuge came to life and power began to flow through it.

 _"Oh no..."_ I whispered aloud before Primis suddenly put his hand on mine. And, _as soon as we began to see the smoke from the spent rocket fuel_ , the centrifuge flung us back in our seats.

 _"Fuuuuuuuuuuu--"_ , I screamed at the top of my lungs. The strength of the force became suffocating. The sheer weight of it sunk us back into the heavily padded seats and pushed against our chests.

Then, _when the_ _lander finally docked_ , we felt the centrifuge slow down before finally coming to a stop. Everything was spinning as I tried to focus my vision and check on Primis. It took a minute of two before I could finally see his face - _which was practically green with nausea._

 _"Are you okay, Edward?"_ I whispered quietly as we heard male voices begin encroaching towards us.

 _"J-ja"_ , Primis managed to reply as he closed his eyes and tried to ignore the symptoms.

 _"Where the fuck are we now?!"_ A gravelly American voice bellowed - _it was definitely Dempsey._ But no sarcastic German voice followed up with a smart-arse reply.

 _"Ahhh, back in the Motherland!"_ Another voice slurred in a Russian accent - _it was Nikolai._ But still, no German voice followed.

 _"This place has no honour!"_ A Japanese voice spat as I turned to Primis. We both agreed that was definitely Takeo. _But again; no German voice._

 _"Do you hear Richtofen?"_ I whispered to Primis in confusion.

 _"Nein, he is not vith zhem"_ , Primis replied with suspicion in his voice. The three men outside began to walk around before another Russian voice called out over the tannoys.

 _"Please, help me. She's coming! The mechanism must be repaired!"_ The voice pleaded to the new visitors. I then caught Primis frown as he seemed to recognise the voice.

 _"It's Gersch"_ , I said - _which seemed to jog his memory._

 _"Ahh, yes. Hmph, he vants_ ** _zhem_** _to fix zhe kasimir mechanism. Pity, I vould have been much more useful... if only he had asked_ ** _me_** _"_ , Primis whispered irritatedly. _His ego seemed bruised._

We had stopped with the chamber window facing away from the lunar lander. As we tried to peer out to catch a glimpse of the men; Nikolai came into view. I quietly kocked on the window to get his attention; which took a while before Nikolai finally realised to look up.

 _"Ayyyy, leetil woman! Long time no see! We thought you were dead! What are you doing up there?"_ Nikolai asked with a confused frown.

 _"Nik, is Richtofen with you?_ " I whispered through the glass.

 _"Nope, he went off on one of his little holidays. He just told us to take the lander to here before he left"_ , Nikolai slurred. Primis and I looked at eachother in confusion.

 _"What the heck? We play as Richtofen in Ascension"_ , I thought to myself. When I looked back at Primis; he was looking at me expectantly.

 _"I don't know. We play as him in the map..."_ I said before pausing.

 _"... ahhh, yes! The poster for the map had this bald guy on it and we all wondered who he was at the time. Then, years later Treyarch tried to explain it by saying that when the guys get here they arrive without Richtofen and fight with Gersch until Richtofen finally arrives"_ , I explained.

 _"But they never explained_ ** _where_** _Richtofen went during that time"_ , I said dejectedly. I had absolutely no idea where he would even go.

 _"Hm..."_ Primis hummed as he mulled over my words before finally speaking.

 _"Vell, ve vill have to shimply vait for him to arrive zhen"_ , Primis mused.

 _"We didn't even need to jump in here..."_ I laughed before frowning with the dizziness and nausea that still persisted.

 _"Ja, ve could have avoided all zhat"_ , Primis huffed in frustration. We grimaced at eachother; but, we were both _beyond_ annoyed at subjecting ourselves to a completely avoidable torture.

 _"Are you coming out of there, leetil woman?_ " Nikolai shouted up. I leaned forward and put a thumb up before Primis leaned forward to open the hatch.

 _"Ayyyy! Is other Richtofen, what were you doing in there with leetil woman? I thought you were both dead!"_ Nikolai slurred before squinting up at Primis. As Primis and I jumped out the centrifuge, Takeo and Dempsey spotted us and ran over. We both felt wobbly on our feet as we instinctively grabbed onto eachother for support.

 _"No. Fuckin'. Way!"_ Dempsey spat as he clenched his teeth with anger.

 _"That_ ** _BASTARD_** _! I told you guys that I was_ ** _RIGHT_** _!!!"_ Dempsey shouted as he glared at Takeo and Nikolai. I could see he was seething with hatred but for now - _that would have to_ _wait_ _._

 _"Will- explain- later... feel- sick"_ I managed to say before Primis and I ran past everyone and dropped our belongings. We quickly lay down on the blankets and stared up at the ceiling.

 _"_ _ZHE_ _ROOM IS_ _SHTILL_ _SHPINNING_ _!"_ Primis exclaimed aloud. The shouting seemed to be therapeutic for him.

 _"I feel... SO SICK"_ I shouted alongside him. We just lay there feeling sorry for ourselves as we groaned in unison. It was not until the air hit us and we stood up that we had realised how bad we _really_ felt.

 _"Vhy couldn't ve be in jour universe celebrating_ _Christmas inshtead of suffering zhis infernal vestibular disturbance! As if zhis place isn't bad enough to exisht in..."_ Primis cried out with discomfort.

 _"We could've been having such a nice day eating--"_ I suddenly stopped in my delirium.

 _"NEIN! DON'T MENTION--"_ Primis shouted out as he recoiled in horror.

 _"_ ** _FOOD! WHY DID I MENTION IT?!_** _"_ I cried out as my stomach turned.

 _"_ _ZHE_ _ZHOUGHT_ _OF IT IS TURNING_ _MEIN_ _SHTOMACH!"_ Primis shouted and groaned. The vertigo was so bad we could not even move our heads to look at anything except the peeling grey paint on the ceiling. Meanwhile, Takeo, Nikolai and Dempsey all stood around us as they watched the spectacle unfold.

 _"What's all this about Christmas?"_ Dempsey asked.

_End of part seven..._


	10. Chapter Eight: A Christmas Special Pt. 2

It took a couple of hours before Primis and I had recovered from the effects of the centrifuge. Surprisingly, I was the first to do so and took the opportunity to explain to the others what had actually transpired back in Kino der Toten. Well, minus the passionate moment between Richtofen and I...

Takeo and Nikolai quietly listened to everything I told them - _unlike Dempsey._ Instead, every time I tried to explain what happened; I was constantly interrupted by, _profanity laden_ , indignant outbursts from Dempsey. But I understood his feelings of anger and it was just his way of dealing with it.

Strangely, I wasn't even perturbed or irate when the guys told me what Richtofen had done. The fact he had lied and told them that Primis and I were dead didn't really phase me. I guess it just made sense for him to do so. _How else was he going to get the guys to leave the theatre with him?_

However, when Dempsey told me that the others had believed Richtofen - _I read between the lines._ I wasn't angry at Takeo or Nikolai for doing so but I could clearly see that the fact Dempsey hadn't been listened to by them had hurt _him_ deeply.

 _Everyone_ knew thag Richtofen was deceitful and not to be trusted; but Dempsey had known deep down that Richtofen had lied about what really happened. But, the worst part about the whole matter seemed to be that Dempsey had felt betrayed by his comrades. He even went to great pains to tell me how he had begged and pleaded for them to trust him yet they never fully did so.

I tried my best to reassure him; but, _truthfully_ , the problem was between them. The theatre had been absolutely overrun with undead and it was a miraculous intervention by Samantha which saved Primis' life. Speaking of Samantha, it now came the time to tell the others about my deal with Maxis.

 _"Primis and I were both contacted by Samantha... and Dr Maxis"_ , I announced to the guys. They all turned to look at one another in confusion.

 _"That little girl can contact you? And who's this Maxis guy?"_ Dempsey asked with a frown.

 _"She had been communicating with me through my dreams until..."_ I paused as they all waited for me to continue. I let out a sigh before speaking.

 _"She wanted me to kill Richtofen... but I refused. So she stopped contacting me until the day the theatre was overrun. Well, she didn't really contact me that day. When Primis was knocked unconscious by Richtofen he would've been killed that day without Samantha's intervention"_ , I explained.

 _"So you mean we coulda just killed the kraut and been done with all this?!"_ Dempsey asked in shock.

 _"Oh it's not that simple, Dempsey. Anyways, Samantha contacted both me and Primis to allow her father, Dr Maxis, to speak with us"_ , I said as Dempsey's brow furled further. Takeo and Nikolai were still quietly listening to everything.

 _"I knew from the story that you guys would come here via the lander. But, we were still stuck in the theatre with no way of getting to Russia on time"_ , I explained.

 _"So how did you make it to Motherland so fast? Must've been some pretty good vodka"_ , Nikolai asked with a drunken hiccup.

 _"Maxis is trapped in something called the Aether. It's pretty much the glue that holds this universe together. Samantha is in a realm called Agartha. But, I know that her physical body is trapped within a device on the Moon which Richtofen is trying to get to"_ , I explained slowly to make sure everyone kept up. After answered their questions; I then continued.

 _"Samantha is in control of the undead and her father is telling her what to do. So when he asked her to bring Primis and I to him; he promised us that he would get us to the cosmodrome on time... in exchange for one thing. He ask me to kill Richtofen just like Samantha did - but this time, he made sure to bargain when all our chips were down"_ , I explained.

 _"So I said I would - to get us here. But, if I don't follow through, the undead will hunt me like they do to Richtofen"_ , I said quietly as I looked down at my hands. Everyone stayed silent as they processed everything I said. Then, Takeo finally spoke.

 _"Will you follow through or was your promise hollow without the will behind it?"_ Takeo enquired, ready to analyse my response.

 _"Well, Richtofen isn't even with you. I don't even know when he will arrive here now. But - Maxis obviously knew this. He knew there was no rush to get to the cosmodrome yet he used my ignorance of this to force me to make a deal - which'll cost me my life if I don't follow through"_ , I explained as I walked through my thought process.

 _"You may not realise this, especially you Dempsey..."_ I said with a chuckle as I looked at the man in question.

 _"Maxis is_ _ **far**_ _worse than Richtofen--"_ I began before being cut off by Dempsey.

 _"Hahaha ha! Don't be silly, Richtofen's the biggest piece of shit on two legs!"_ Dempsey cried with laughter - _laughter which quickly turned to silence when he serious look on my face._

 _"He's far more ruthless, far more vengeful and far more callous than Richtofen could ever be. There's a point in the storyline which is a great example"_ , I began.

 _"When Richtofen wins and controls the undead, Maxis convinces a group of people - we call them Victis - to help him instead of Richtofen. So we had a choice in the game to either help Richtofen or Maxis; but the irony is when we help Maxis he just leaves Victis for dead. Whereas, we are handsomely rewarded in the game for helping Richtofen"_ , I said before pausing.

 _"I know it's hard for anyone to see Richtofen as anything but evil. There are people who are made that way and there are those who are rotten to the core. Maxis is most certainly the latter"_ , I explained. This time, Dempsey didn't say a word.

 _"So you had no intention of killing Richtofen?"_ Nikolai asked.

 _"No, Nik. But I feel bad for letting Primis think I would. I had to remove any possibility of Maxis or Samantha doubting my words. He was so shocked when I said yes but I didn't have time to talk it through with him. But I can finally be open and honest now that Maxis has shown his hand. He thinks I'll feel forced to hold up my end of the deal now. But that'snever going to_ _happen_ _"_ , I said unflateringly.

Just as I had finished talking; Primis came over to join us. Everyone else decided to get up to give me and Primis some space to talk. He smiled at me and sat down after giving the others a puzzled look for leaving.

 _"How are you feeling, Edward?"_ I asked as I put a hand on his forearm.

 _"I'm feeling much better. Mein vestibular system has returned to normal"_ , he said as I smiled.

 _"I need to talk to you about something"_ , I whispered quietly. Primis raised an eyebrow as he waited for me to continue.

 _"I had to lie to you about wanting to kill Richtofen. I didn't want Maxis or Samantha to become suspicious otherwise we would've never got here. I just said yes because there was no other way to get to the cosmodrome on time. But, it seems Richtofen himself doesn't arrive until later. So, I guess I let Maxis trick me._ _I'm_ _sorry"_ , I explained before apologising.

 _"But Maxis vouldn't--"_ , Primis tried to say before I interrupted him.

 _"He's not the same Maxis as the one you knew - just like you aren't like Richtofen. He's a real bastard. And he really screwed Richtofen over"_ , I said which caused Primis to frown.

 _"No, don't think what Richtofen did was acceptable. And, a child should've never been anywhere near this kind of experimentation to begin with. But it doesn't detract from the fact that Maxis is extremely dangerous"_ , I said - _answering his silent question._

 _"I'm so sorry I had to lie. I thought I would've had to carry it for much longer before being able to tell you but_ _thankfully_ _I_ _was wrong"_ , I said - _my apology sincere._ Primis didn't seem angry or upset; he just let out a sigh of relief.

 _"Oh! Zhank Gött. I didn't vant jou to have to place such a heavy burden on jourshelf"_ , Primis exhaled with relief before worry washed over his face.

 _"But..._ _Maxis--_ _zhis_ _Maxis vill know und he'll--"_ , Primis said before I interrupted.

 _"Yeah, that's the only time he's willing to hold up his end of the bargain. The undead are going to come for me now -- just like Richtofen"_ , I sighed dejectedly. Suddenly, Primis leaned over and hugged me.

 _"Vhey vill not harm jou --_ _ **I vill not allow it**_ _"_ , Primis whispered as he held me. I relaxed into the embrace and leant my head against the side of his.

 _"Thank you. Now I've just got to save Richtofen whilst having Samantha and Maxis trying to kill me"_ , I said dryly and laughed. We finally broke apart as Primis sat back to look at me.

 _"Ve can do it. Ve can save everyvone... even mein ozher shelf"_ , Primis said with burning determination in his glacial blue eyes.

 _"I'm going to talk to zhe ozhers. Go get some rest und I vill vake jou later"_ , Primis said with a smile before giving me another hug. I shuffled over to my blanket and wrapped it around me before resting my head on my bag. Before I closed my eyes, I noticed he had a peculiar smile on his face - _like he was up to something._

And, sure enough, he was. When I awoke, no one was around. I could hear muffled voices nearby as I slowly got up and followed the sound. I suddenly realised that I must've been asleep for hours as it was now dark outside.

I grabbed my blanket and bag and headed upstairs. The door which led outside was now open; I walked out into the freezing night air after draping my blanket over my shoulders. My shoes crunched on the stony path as I took a right and made my way towards the power switch.

There were no signs of undead for miles but I still kept my guard up. I could now hear the concord of male voices coming from the ground floor of the building which housed the power switch and the launch pad. I walked through the gate and made my way towards the building and looked in.

They were all standing around the table with the Richtofen matroyshka doll. To my surprise, the room seemed to be lined with some kind of decorations. I accidentally kicked a stone which ricocheted off a nearby oil drum as I tried to walk closer. Everyone turned around to look at me.

 _"Leetil woman, you are too early. We haven't out up the--"_ Nikolai slurred before Dempsey put a hand over his mouth to silence him.

 _"Don't ruin the damn surprise!"_ Dempsey angrily chastised the drunk Russian.

 _"Ahh, vell. Ve may as vell just show jou"_ , Primis said with a chuckle.

 _"Please, come over"_ , Primis asked as everyone watched me come closer - with a look of bewildermenton my face.

As I got closer, I realised the decorations were little paper snowflakes. And then suddenly, I was hit with a smell of food. I walked in to look at the men before they moved aside to reveal the table. There were plates containing all kinds of food and more paper snowflakes.

 _"MERRY CHRISTMAS!"_ Everyone exclaimed in unison. I felt so taken aback.

 _"Wha--? Awww, did you guys really go to all this bother for me?"_ I asked as I felt tears building.

 _"It was his idea"_ , Nikolai laughed and let out a belch before pointing to Primis. I then turned to look at the now blushing German.

 _"Edward..."_ I said quietly as I felt overwhelmed. He had been looking down at his boots in a vain attempt to hide his rosy cheeks; before he finally looked up when he heard me say his name. I instinctively ran over to hug him which took him by surprise.

 _"Thank you for going to all this bother"_ , I whispered.

 _"And thank you guys for making such an effort"_ , I exclaimed as I turned to look at the others.

Dempsey rubbed the back of his neck as he seemed lost for words, Nikolai raised his vodka bottle and Takeo gave me a nod. I ended up giving them all a hug and wished everyone a Merry Christmas in return. They then brought chairs over to the table as we all sat down to eat.

 _"Sorry it ain't much"_ , Dempsey said bashfully. Depsite his words, it _really_ was something special - _he had cooked so much food for us all._ The chicken looked so delicious and the potatoes and vegetables were freshly piping hot.

 _"Dempsey, this is wonderful. You've done an amazing job"_ , I replied graciously - causing him to blush a little more.

 _"We made leetil snowflakes from random documents we found around the place. I had much fun making them... unlike Takeo"_ , Nikolai said - _giving Takeo a look of disapproval._

 _"They're absolutely beautiful, Nik"_ , I smiled as Nikolai looked so pleased with himself.

 _"Anything for leetil woman_ ", Nikolai slurred back with a smile.

We spent the whole evening enjoying the feast. There wasn't much in the facility but the fact everyone had gone to such lengths to decorate the place and make it feel Christmasy really overwhelmed me. We didn't have much in this apocalyptic world - _but we had each other._

Later that evening, we sat by the bonfire that Primis made outside. Nikolai was absolutely exhausted from eating so much food and had passed out hugging his vodka. Takeo sat contemplatively watching the flames dance. Dempsey had found some whiskey along with the food and was happily puffing away on a cigarette whilst sipping his dram. Primis stood up before looking down at me.

 _"I have somezhing for jou, I vill be back in vone minute"_ , he whispered before walking back inside the building. Sure enough, he returned and sat down beside me again.

 _"I made zhis... for jou"_ , he whispered before handing me a present wrapped in more old documents. I smiled before taking it and carefully removing the layers of paper.

My eyes widened as I held up a necklace. The pendant was piece of meteorite; but not the kind that contained element 115. It had been a normal meteorite as the little piece shimmered in the light from the fire without any eery blue glow. It was absolutely beautiful - _especially since I love meteorites._

I had always wanted a meteorite engagement ring when I got married. Imagine the though of a literal extraterrestrial object that had likely travelled millions of miles to land here to become your ring. The meteorite was encased within wire which held the stone in place like a setting. The pendant had a small loop at the top with a piece of cord threaded though. There was also a ring in one end and a little hook on the other.

 _"Here, let me put it on for jou"_ , Primis said anxiously before picking up the necklace and putting it around my neck. I lifted up my hair as he leaned forward to fasten the necklace. Then, he sat back and looked at me - _trying to gauge my response._

 _"I can't believe you made this for me, Edward"_ , I said, absolutely blown away by his kindness - _and the craftsmanship._

 _"I found some meteorite samples in zhe laboratory. Zhere vas some vire vhich sheemed sturdy enough to set zhe stone... und zhe cord vas just lying around"_ , Primis stuttered anxiously. I leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek before hugging him. He jumped slightly and tensed before hugging me back.

 _"It may not have been zhe Christmas jou vanted but I hope zhis vone vas okay"_ , Primis whispered in my ear; causing me to pull back to look at him.

 _"Don't be daft, it was wonderful. You've made me so happy"_ , I happily chirped back before pulling him close again to hug him.

I looked over Primis' shoulder to see Dempsey had now fallen asleep as he and Nikolai both nursed their bottles. When we broke from the hug, I looked over to see that even Takeo had dozed off. I smiled as the three men looked so adorable. _Sleep was something rarely granted to anyone these days._ I looked back at Primis who passed me my blanket before we sat with his arm around me.

 _"I vill keep vatch tonight"_ , Primis whispered with a reassuring smile. I thanked him and snuggled in to rest my head on his chest.

_I lay contentedly listening to his heart beat before finally drifting off to sleep._

_End of part eight..._


	11. Update

Firstly, I hope everyone and their family are keeping well and had a nice holiday season. 🥰🥰🥰

I'm so sorry I haven't posted the next chapter yet. The holiday period is always exhausting for me - especially the cold weather! 😭

I'm currently working on three different projects which each took their turn as priority; but, coupled with a wee bit of writer's block, my story took a backseat recently.

The part of the story we're at has a lot of potential and possibilities where I could take it. I really should have taken a break to recharge at the end of "Into the Aether" but I was so excited to carry on.

It's really annoying because I realise everyone wants to know what happens next. I've spent all this time since my last chapter agonising over the best path to take; which will make the story feel like it is part of and fills in the gaps in Treyarch's original story.

Again, I can only apologise for the delay 😭❤ xxx I'm going to start writing again tomorrow so hopefully I'll have the next chapter out in the next few days! 🥰🥰🥰 xxx

Thanks to everyone who has and continues to support my story. I will always love and appreciate everyone- even if you only stuck around for one page 😉 xxx


	12. Chapter Nine: A Heady Past Pt. 1

Richtofen took a deep breath. His heart raced as his eyes struggled to focus. His inability to quell this internal uprising caused him to frustratedly lay down the scalpel and slip off his black surgical gloves. With a large sigh, he removed his surgeon's overalls before loosening his tie and undoing the collar button of his shirt. Richtofen's head spun in a hazy concoction of thoughts and emotions; with the intense bombardment forcing him to finally relent and take a seat at his desk.

Surgery had been the only thing that ever relaxed his mind yet there he was, _with a racing pulse and ever racing mind_ , completely unable to find respite in his work. Though, _of_ _course_ , 'surgery' and 'dissection' were simply one and the same to Richtofen. Whether the subject was alive or not during the procedure never factored into things, _he thought to himself_ ; as he looked over at the decomposing corpse he had just left behind on the operating table.

The thought caused him to think back to his time spent amongst the Weimar elite; before the outbreak of WW2 put an end to the comfortable life he had spent carefully crafting for himself. After being welcomed into the upper echelons of German society; his newfound friends had begun to invite him to their gatherings to socialise. And much to Richtofen's surprise, everybody was interested in him. Outside of his regular entourage, _who remained by his side throughout the whole evening_ , every guest would come to greet the genius doctor as they all eyed him with fascination.

Richtofen had always welcomed the attention on the superficial level as he would spend hours eventually boring the inebriated party goers into a comatose state; often by going off on one of his lectures regarding the beauty of blood or the intricacies of the spleen. And whilst the audience provided a boost to his already colossal ego - _the lack of intellectual stimulation proved extremely disheartening._

But it was not just his reputation as a brilliant surgeon that stirred curiosity amongst them. Many of the females at the parties would eye him with childlike curiosity. He had gained a reputation amongst the ladies as the lone, broody silent type who simply needed a woman to tame him. Though, _unbeknownst to them,_ Richtofen saw them all as pathetic, brainless harlots. So it was no surprise that he revelled in leading them on before savouring their anguish as he alluded to them that he was actually a homosexual. The disappointment in their faces was priceless, _he_ _thought to himself._

Richtofen had long since grown accustomed to running his acquaintances in circles as they tried to decipher his guarded private life and sexual preferences. He would leave the same trail of breadcrumbs that he had learned to leave as a child with Dr Vogel. And with Richtofen's decidedly flamboyant and melodramatic nature - _he made sure to play up these qualities for his elaborate rouse._

It never ceased to baffle him how important it seemed to be for these people to reach a conclusion on things that was none of their business in the first place. Truth be told, he _enjoyed_ his solitary existence - _free of distraction and emotional neediness._ Just because he did not _want_ a female companion did not automatically make him gay.

Therefore, despite attending such lavish parties and opulent dinners; Richtofen would often feel drained by the socialising and hedonistic lifestyle which his peers found so unshakeabley intoxicating. Their immoral practices of orgies and rampant drug use were surprisingly repulsive to Richtofen - _who looked down on their inane existence and lack of class._

His mind was too great to cloud and defile with noxious substances and the choice of human beings served up at such nefarious parties left little to be desired. Many young women and men would be rounded up and driven to country manors on the promise of monetary payment - _which they never received._ Instead, at the end of the party - _once they served no further use -_ many were dumped back onto the streets where their drug addictions guided the rest of their lives.

The novelty of the elite lifestyle quickly wore off once Richtofen saw it for what it was. These people were so wealthy they never needed to work a day in their lives - _which left a gaping void of boredom and listlessness._ Something which left him _pining_ for something _more_. And so, Richtofen continued to operate on his wealthy patients by day and perform the ritual of networking by evening.

On one such evening, he had been invited to another party yet the crushing boredom caused him to withdraw and languish on the sidelines as he observed the phoney people around him. Though, as the night went on, someone caught Richtofen's eye. The gentleman nearby had been quietly watching his dismay with eager eyes. The man sat in an armchair flanked by his cronies as his hands rested atop his guilded cane - _the handle of which being the head of an eagle._ He was a fat middle aged man in a grey pinstripe, three piece suit. A gold pocket watch chain shimmered across his waistcoat which Richtofen remembered vividly. 

As the evening went on, Richtofen would watch as partygoers would approach to bow before the gentleman before being shooed away. Of course, the gentleman's face was conveniently obscured by the dim lighting - _though Richtofen could unmistakably feel the gentleman's gaze bore into him._ Towards the end of the night, the gentleman sent one of his cronies Richtofen's way. The man then approached the lounging doctor before escorting him over. As Richtofen approached the mystery guest, he noted the peculiar signet ring the gentleman wore next to the other signet ring of a family crest on his pinky finger _._

Then, the gentleman's face came into view - _revealing the stern, well-worn face of Mr Otto Gernsberg._ Richtofen had heard stories of the man yet, _up until now_ , he had seemed to elude Richtofen. Though he _had_ gleamed from the gossip that Mr Gernsberg was a prominent businessman in the steel industry. However, as mundane as his business seemed to be, he had gained staunch notoriety for his eclectic pastimes.

Admitterly, such stories had piqued Richtofen's interest; though, none of the people in Richtofen's circles had ever been invited to one of Mr Gernsberg's parties. Rumours had been spun that Mr Gernsberg enjoyed the company of young boys and would round up the street orphans for his parties. Other rumours were spun about what went on in his country manor - _which apparently ranged from esoteric rituals to human hunting parties._ But, at the end of the day, no one Richtofen knew could substantiate these claims. _And Mr Gernsberg's guests never divulged what went on at these gatherings._

Richtofen gave a brief nod and sat down on the opposite facing armchair - _waiting for Mr Gernsberg to speak first._ After a lengthy silence, _as if he was sizing Richtofen up,_ Mr Gernsberg finally spoke.

 _"Herr Doktor Richtofen, I am quite zhe fan of jour vork. How does a brilliant man like jou find himself amongst such a brainless bunch?"_ Mr Gernsberg snarked with a grin. Richtofen had felt taken aback that Mr Gernsberg even knew he _existed_ , let alone his _work_. But he remained silent in the face of Mr Gernsberg's question.

 _"I have been observing jou all night, doktor. Zhis is not vhere jou belong. Oh, my dear doktor. Jou should-- no--_ ** _jou deserve_** _to be around like minded people. Perhaps jou vould do vell to attend my soirée zhis coming Sunday?"_ Mr Gernsberg sang jovially before clicking his fingers at one of his men. A burly young man produced an envelope which he then handed to the surprised Richtofen.

Once the part was over, Richtofen arrived back at his apartment. He hurriedly rushed to the sofa and began inspecting the envelope. The paper was rich and not the quality many would ever see in their lives. On the back of the envelope there was a wax seal which had been stamped with Mr Gernsberg's family crest - _the same crest as his ring._

With little effort, the wax parted from the envelope to reveal it's contents. Inside there was a lavishly ornate invitation - _as if a scribe had been commissioned to handwrite it._ The paper was guilded on each side with decorative keys as the words read:

_"Herr Doktor Edward Richtofen,_

_You have been invited to attend the countryside residence of Herr Otto Gernsberg. Your carriage will be waiting outside your residence at 20:00 hours on Sunday 5th March. We expect strict formal wear for the occasion._

_Yours sincerely,_

_House of Gernsberg"_

Richtofen sat back with a mix of excitement, curiosity and intrigue running through his mind. After a few minutes, he regained composure and sat up. Richtofen then carefully folded the letter before he slipped it back into the envelope with great delicacy. With the party only two days away, Richtofen was eager to source the best tuxedo that money could buy.

_And so, he had his chauffeur drive him first thing in the morning to the best tailor in the country..._

_End of part nine..._


	13. Update

Hello everyone ❤❤❤ xxx

My wee self has still been terribly ill. I visited the doctor yesterday but I seem to be getting worse which is always fun 😞

I've got two chapters written up and I'm working on another. But so there's no delays in them being posted im going to leave a gap of three days between each chapter to make sure everything's written to my usual standards and I can rest I between ❤❤❤ xxx

I wanted to really make sure I'm setting a strong foundation for the story because this part is surprisingly complex since there's so much to fill in. I also hope you enjoy the wee flashback because I really enjoy giving Richtofen more backstory whilst still keeping in line with Treyarch's. Hopefully it feels natural and ties in nicely 🥰🥰🥰 xxx

I hope everyone is staying well and plesde be sure to let me know how you are all doing! I always like to know how everyone is! ❤❤❤ xxx


	14. Chapter Ten: A Heady Past Pt. 2

The following morning, Richtofen rose early and ordered his chauffeur to ready the car. Fifteen minutes later, the doctor hurriedly left his apartment and got into the back of the car - _which had been patiently waiting outside._ His black Maybach Zeppelin roared through the streets as the goliath of a car tore up the cobble roads. Richtofen had fallen in love with the car the moment he saw it at auction. Newly released in 1930, the Mayback DS7 was built with a zeppelin engine - _another icon of German engineering._

Upon arrival, the chauffeur pulled up the handbrake and vacated the car. The middle-aged gentleman sauntered around the elongated bonnet which housed the powerful and commanding twelve cylinder zeppelin engine. Having accumulated his vast wealth, Richtofen had vowed to stay loyal to German ingenuity. Despite the arrival of the exciting English Rolls-Royce Phantom or the sporty offerings from the Italians; Richtofen would always turn up his nose at what he referred to as _'inferior engineering'._

Once at Richtofen's side of the car, the chauffeur opened the door as the tall domineering German emerged. He wore a lavish navy suit with a white dress shirt, brown leather dress shoes and a red pocket square and tie. Of course, what others saw as elegant attire reserved for only the most special of occasions; the same calibre of attire merely served as Richtofen's everyday wear. The chauffeur stepped ahead and held open the door to _'Fritz & Sons, Schneiderei seit. 1860'. _

In doing so, the staff inside instinctively turned their heads as they anticipated the arrival of another customer. However, their hearts collectively sunk once they were met with Richtofen's cold calculating glare. He eyed the frightened people with a smirk before passing over the threshold and stalking towards the desk. Everyone quietly watched as he extended a black leather gloved hand before gently ringing the bell.

And elderly man emerged from the back room and shuffled over to meet Richtofen. The man appeared incompetent, frail and even wore beer bottle glasses; yet, his craftsmanship was renowned. After first picking up a needle and thread at the age of ten; he had opened his first shop by the age of twenty. Every stitch - every detail was immaculate. The rich from all over Europe would overlook the English and French talent for Hermann Fritz's designs.

Mr Fritz seemed totally unfazed by Richtofen's demeanour; as the cowering employees looked on in fear whilst he politely greeted Richtofen.

 _"Ah! Hallo, Herr Doktor Richtofen! Vhat can I do for jou today?"_ The man asked cheerfully before pushing his spectacles back up on the bridge of his nose.

 _"Good evening, Herr Fritz! I require jour finest formal vear!"_ Richtofen sang back - _which only served to creep the employees out further by his sudden change in mood._

 _"Ja, I see! Bitte, come zhis vay zhen, Herr Doktor. Let me show jou zhe finest tuxedos in zhe whole of Europe!"_ Mr Fritz proclaimed proudly.

Richtofen followed close behind before removing one of his black leather gloves and proceeded to appraise the fabrics on the rail before him. He then picked out various tuxedo ensembles to try on before disappearing into the luxurious velvet changing rooms. After an hour of trying on each tuxedo, Richtofen finally made his decision.

Eager to impress, he had chosen a black tailcoat woven with the finest threads along with satin stripe flat front trousers and polished black dress shoes. He paired this with a white wingtip collar dress shirt, white satin vest and matching satin bowtie. For the evening, he had also chosen white gloves and a black top hat to complete the outfit. In fact, he had even gone one step further and later purchased a black cane with a solid silver filigree handle.

As he stood before the mirror, Richtofen marvelled as his magnificence. He always dressed immaculately but to stand there in the most luxurious tuxedo money could buy; it symbolised a great sense of achievement - _nevermind the prestigious occasion that had necessitated the purchase in the first place._

Mr Fritz shuffled over and unrolled his tape measure before kneeling down to adjust the length and fit of Richtofen's trousers. Richtofen remained in a daze as he continued to marvel at his own appearance. After proceeding to then take measurements for his tailcoat and waistcoat, Mr Fritz stood up and spoke - _which finally broke Richtofen from his spell this time._

 _"Herr doktor, I have taken all jour measurements und I shall have jour suit ready for next week"_ , Mr Fritz announced - _which caused Richtofen to narrow his eyes._

 _"I require mein attire for tomorrow evening"_ , Richtofen said curtly.

 _"Herr Doktor, zhis is too short notice to--"_ , Mr Fritz tried to explain before being cut off by Richtofen.

 _"Do jou know who I am?!"_ Richtofen whispered as he leaned down and glared at the man with his piercing blue eyes. Mr Fritz jumped with fright before composing himself and capitulated by bowing his head. Richtofen had long since earned his notoriously terrifying reputation amongst the city and Mr Fritz knew he could not refuse. _L_ _est something unpleasant happen to his shop the following day._ With a victorious smirk, Richtofen saw himself out.

The moon had risen early on that cold dreary Sunday; the wind howled as the icy rain rapped on the windows - _as if demanding entry._ Richtofen, _however_ , had been unfazed by the menacing display outside. Instead, he had retreated to his bedroom as he prepared for the evening ahead.

His clothes lay meticulously placed on his bed. The tuxedo had been promptly delivered in the afternoon by one of Mr Fritz's sons. Richtofen laughed as he remembered the young man's trembling voice through the apartment intercom before buzzing him in. Richtofen had stood by the door listening to the approaching footsteps before swinging open the door, snatching his suit from the man's hands and then proceeding to slam the door- _leaving the man in a frightened daze._

After savouring the fear he had induced from his earlier encounter; Richtofen emerged from the bath and grabbed the nearby towel to dry off. He then wrapped the towel around his waist before leaving the en suite and entering the bedroom. Small droplets of water ran down his chest and shoulders as his hair struggled to dry in the chilly apartment. He ran a muscular hand through his wet hair and slicked it back; catching the strands that had fallen across his face.

As Richtofen made his way over to the bed; he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. Richtofen paused for a moment as he stared at his reflection. His chest rose with a sudden sharp intake of breath as he gasped. What really took him by surprise was that he almost didn't recognise himself. It was as if something had changed about him yet he could not pin point exactly what it was. Richtofen continued to stare at himself as he then looked at his body.

He had always been rather tall and lean yet his chest and pectoral muscles were no longer as pronounced. His ribs had begun to protrude as they lined his abdomen. He then lifted his gaze as his eyes rested back on his face. The sharp angular features of his Germanic heritage were sullied by his hollowed cheeks and gaunt face. Even his eyes had sunk back into the ocular chambers of his skull.

The transformation had shocked him. Standing there in just a towel to cover his modesty - _he looked weak and sickly._ His youth was fading and the metaphorical scars and wounds of his past were scrawled across him for all to see. Now in his thirties, _and just on the precipice of joining the inner ranks of the elite_ , Richtofen began to feel strange.

After all these years of hard work, he was finally going to surround himself with people who's views aligned with his own and find his ilk. _But the moment was not as exciting as he had imagined this day would be._ Instead, there was a sinking feeling that reverberated from the marrow of his bones. It was a small but persistent nagging at his soul which he couldn't seem to shake - _nor want to_ _confront_ _._

Suddenly, a bell tolled out in the hallway which was the much needed distraction to break his melancholic cycle of thoughts - _even if it was temporarily._

_The antique grandfather clock_ _bellowed_ _as the hands struck_ _seven_ _o'clock..._

_End of part_ _ten_ _..._


	15. Chapter Eleven: A Heady Past Pt. 3

The pendulum of the grandfather clock swung from side to side with each incessant tick. The cogs of the intricate mechanism methodically marched and clicked as they kept the pace of time. The mouth of the marble fireplace smouldered with the residual heat from the glowing coals as they lay stacked in the recess.

Richtofen sat impatiently on the green Chesterfield sofa. After getting dressed, he had tried to pass the next hour by occupying his mind with paperwork and just about anything which would distract him from these new thoughts. However, he had resigned himself to the sofa as the minute hand of the clock painfully inched it's way past 7:45pm. His mind raced as his gut cried out like a siren.

All the excitement and anticipation he had first felt two days prior had now decomposed into feelings of impending doom. With each exasperating tick and tock; Richtofen's stomach churned like a convict awaiting his execution. He looked absolutely handsome in his attire, yet; he had not dared to look at himself in the mirror since he dressed. He avoided his reflection like the gaze of a gorgon - _lest it turn his heart to stone._

 _"Shnap out of it, Edvard!"_ Richtofen chastised himself in his mind.

 _"Zhis is zhe moment jou have vaited for! Jour brilliance has lifted jou from zhe cesspool of zhe peasantry und elevated to zhe Gods! Zhis is vhere jou belong!"_ He spat as he continued to rationalise the negative feelings which infested his being.

 _"Jou are Doctor Edward Richtofen!"_ Richtofen proclaimed aloud as his voice echoed through the empty apartment.

His heart began to race as the panic and frustration took hold of him. Beads of sweat began to form on his brow which forced him to get up from the sofa and retreat to the main bathroom. Richtofen rested his cane against the Greek marble floor sculpture which sat ominously in the corner; practically glaring at any of Richtofen's guests who were unfortunate enough to have a bowel movement.

He then placed his top hat on the counter next to the sink. As he reached over to run the tap, he slipped off his gloves and stood before the gushing water. Richtofen's eyes struggled to evade his reflection as the movement of splashing water on his face tempted him to look. His sanity had begun to elude him as it taunted and teased him like a figure in the night.

 _"Nein! Jou vill go to zhis evening und enjoy it!"_ Richtofen growled through gritted teeth.

He finally summoned the courage to look at his own visage as it stared back at him. Suddenly, his reflection began to smirk with a menacing grin. The man in the mirror began to taunt him as his eyes flickered with a deranged look before shifting back and forth from a morose, shadowy, unkempt Richtofen.

 _"N-n-NEIN! ZHIS IS NOT ME!"_ Richtofen cried at the mirror. He felt powerless as he watched himself contort before crumbling.

 _"NEIN! Please, leave me be!"_ Richtofen sobbed as he stepped back before slumping against the wall behind him.

The cold tiled floor seeped through his clothing as the chill froze his body. Richtofen bent his knees toward his chest before wrapping his arms around them. He buried his face as the tears fell from his cheeks. His strong sonorous voice was now reduced to a high pitched whimper as he began to fall apart.

Then, the buzzer went - _snapping him from his breakdown._ After a few seconds, it rang again. Richtofen looked up in bewilderment through teary eyes before realising. The sudden urgency to compose himself for the impending company caused him to automatically gather his thoughts. He quickly jumped up, adjusted himself and swept back his hair before putting on his gloves and top hat.

Richtofen grabbed his cane as he almost glided to the front door. He unhooked his black cape from the coat stand before calling out through the intercom. After locking the door, he rushed down the stairs and out into the street as a lone carriage waited on the street nearby.  
Richtofen looked around the dimly lit streets before approaching the carriage. An elderly man set atop as he held the reigns of the two black horses.

The compartment door suddenly swung open causing Richtofen to instinctively flinch. He looked into the bowels of the carriage as the blackness silently awaited him to board. When he finally climbed onto the carriage step; a hand reached out and pulled him in - _causing_ _the resulting journey to be a blur._

The sound of the horses hoofs clunking against the cobbled roads echoed in his mind like the ticking of his clock; before the smell of chloroform stung his nostrils. Richtofen fought the drowsiness as he tried to open his eyes. In his peripheral vision, he could see he was flanked by two burly men before one turned around and realised he had woken up. The man whistled to the other before they produced a burlap sack and threw it over Richtofen's head.

 _"Vhat is zhe meaning of zhis?!"_ Richtofen's muffled voice slurred through the thick material.

Richtofen was too groggy to fight back as merely staying conscious was a strenuous feat. As he slipped back and forth from sleep; he struggled to lift his weighty limbs to defend himself.

The carriage rocked from side to side as it navigated its way to its unknown destination. All Richtofen could do was analyse each twist and turn made. But then, the rocky cobbled roads were replaced with gravel as the stony paths created a new sound against the hoofs.

The steady rocking of the compartment began to lull Richtofen to sleep. As he dozed off, the compartment door flung open and the two men got up. They both dragged the vulnerable doctor out of the carriage towards the nearby house.

The cold evening air flowed through the gaps in the weave of the burlap sack as each bout of air brushed against Richtofen's face. As he came around again, his ears honed into the sounds around him. The crickets chirped as the occasional hoot from an owl embellished the concert of the night.

The mens shoes crunched on the dusty stone path as Richtofen's feet struggled to keep up with their pace. Then, a warm glowing light shone through the burlap sack. A door slowly creaked open and the three of them entered the warmth of the building. More doors creaked open and Richtofen was dragged into a large echoy room and sat on a chair.

As the sack was removed from his head; Richtofen's eyes were flooded with light. Before him, a group of cloaked figured stood around him with their faces obscured by monstrous masks. Richtofen felt startled as he tried to scramble to his feet.

 _"Ahh, Herr Doktor! Velcome to my house. Please, do not be startled"_ , A man's voice calmly called out.

The crowd parted as Mr Gernsberg emerged - _he had on the same cloak but minus a mask._

 _"Please accept my apologies for zhe manhandling. As a new invitee, ve must take every precaution"_ , Mr Gernsberg said matter-of-fact.

Richtofen remained silent as he eyed the figures with suspicion. Mr Gernsberg continued to display a smile yet the gesture failed to put Richtofen at ease.

 _"Herr Doktor, my parties are unlike zhe vones jou have been attending. Our gazherings are not for everyone; und, should jou choose to not come back. Ve must ensure zhat our meetings remain a secret"_ , Mr Gernsberg explained- _which piqued Richtofen's interest._

 _"Meetings?"_ Richtofen said with a raised eyebrow.

 _"Oh ja, Herr Doktor. Und ve vould love for jou to join us"_ , Mr Gernsberg replied with a grin

Richtofen felt the same anxious gnawing from earlier. The same wave of impending doom washed over him but before it could take hold this time; a darker side of him erupted as if free from it's bonds. A wave of calmness instead replaced the troublesome feelings as if beating back any remnant of conscience that Richtofen had left.

 _"I vould gladly join"_ , Richtofen snarled with delight.

Then, before Mr Gernsberg could respond, a man emerged from the cloaked figures and stood before Richtofen. He slipped back the hood of his cloak and preceeded to remove his mask.

_Richtofen frowned as he looked strikingly familiar..._

_End of part eleven..._


	16. Chapter Twelve: A Heady Past Pt. 4

Richtofen sat back in his chair with a smirk as the man continued to glare at him. The crowd quietly watched the spectacle with tense anticipation - _before the man finally spoke._

 _"I am just_ _ **curious**_ _about_ _ **vone**_ _zhing, Herr Gernsberg"_ , the man began - _with slight irritation in his voice._ He continued to glare at Richtofen as Mr Gernsberg nodded in concedement; giving him the green light to begin his impromptu interrogation.

 _"Vhen jou began jour_ _ **illustrious**_ _career... jou chose not to go by jour real name. Und_ _ **vhy**_ _exactly vas zhat?"_ The man sang his query with a dangerous tone - _taking Richtofen by surprise_ _at his directness._

 _"Und of_ _ **all**_ _zhe names jou_ _ **could**_ _have chosen jou decided to use zhe 'von Rohr' family name, ja? I am just_ _ **soooo**_ _interested as to vhy jou chose_ _ **MY**_ _family's good name?!"_ The man exclaimed as the pitch of his voice crescendoed. His eyes were manic and unhinged as he eagerly awaited Richtofen's response.

 _"I zhink jou of all people should know"_ _,_ Richtofen responded cooly - _causing the man's manic expression to wither to befuddlment._ He paused and looked down as if in deep thought before his eyes lifted back up to Richtofen. It was as if being slapped in the face as the realisation then hit him.

 _"_ _ **Nein**_ _! How could_ _ **she**_ _just leave like zhat?!"_ The man cried out as the others had no idea what he was talking about.

 _"Ve have much to discuss"_ , Richtofen whispered for only the man to hear.

Once he finally regained his composure; both men exited the room without a word. The man and Richtofen then sat down on the sofas in the adjacent room. Richtofen was the first to speak.

 _"I always suspected it vas jou"_ , he said confidently.

 _"She just_ _ **left**_ _vone day. Zhere vasn't_ _ **even**_ _a letter..._ _ **no explanation**_ _..."_ The man stuttered as he was still overwhelmed with shock. Then, suddenly, his expression darkened as he leaned across the coffee table at Richtofen - _causing him to jerk back._

 _"I have vatched jou climb zhe ranks of the Republic. Jou_ _ **knew**_ _using my family's name vould catch my eye, no?"_ The man ask with ragged breath. Richtofen felt a little uncomfortable with the man's rapidly changeable demeanour but nodded quietly.

 _"_ _ **JOU**_ _! Jou vanted to get to_ _ **ME**_ _!?"_ The man yelled.

 _"Vell, ja... but I also vasn't too keen on zhe whole living in poverty zhing"_ , Richtofen responded in his usual humorously sarcastic manner. The man suddenly sat back with a grin.

 _"Oooh! Jou even have my sense of humour!"_ The man retorted with a beaming grin.

 _"Ja, und zhe resemblance is uncanny. I'm sure jou shee it too..."_ Richtofen chimed in.

"Ja, but even more so zhan mere resemblance," the man replied as Richtofen chuckled. The laughing quickly stopped once Richtofen noticed the man's piercing manic gaze. Then, _suddenly_ , his demenour darkened again.

 _"Not many vould have been able to pull off vhat jou have done, jou know..."_ the man began as he looked at Richtofen with sinister eyes.

 _"But zhen again, zhey don't have my_ _ **superior**_ _genes!"_ The man giggled with excitement before becoming serious again.

 _"I had Otto invite jou here tonight as I zhought confronting jou vas long overdue. I knew jou couldn't pass up such a prestigious opportunity!"_ The man explained.

 _"Und vhat is it exactly zhat I have been invited to join?"_ Richtofen enquired.

 _"Ahhh, jou shpent enough time in Bavaria to know who ve are, Edvard,"_ the man sang.

 _"Zhe brozherhood, zhe..._ _ **ILLUMINATED VONES!"**_ The man cried out dramatically. Richtofen nodded as if confirming his suspicions.

 _"Ve cannot let zhose brilliant genes of jours go to vaste..."_ The man sneered with a malicious smile. Richtofen didn't smile back but instead fell serious and morose.

 _"She concealed it from jou..."_ Richtofen stated lowly as he changed the subject to more serious tones.

 _"But! If she had just_ _ **TOLD ME!**_ _I vould have sheen to it zhat_ _ **jou**_ _vere looked after"_ , the man protested.

 _"Oh ja, I place zhe blame shquarely on zhe wretch"_ , Richtofen laughed, feeling slightly reassured by the man's response.

Suddenly, the man leaned across the coffee table with the same maddening look as before.

 _"Vell, shall ve return to zhe ozhers und shtart zhe ritual?"_ The man grinned.

 _"Und, bitte... call me Wolf"_ , he added with a dangerous, sly smile.

From that night on, Richtofen was initiated into the most secretive order in history. He and Baron Wolf von Rohr agreed that it would be unwise for Richtofen to officially take on the 'von Rohr' name - _as it would attract unnecessary attention to the family._

The emergence of an estranged son born out of an affair between the Baron and one of his maids was a scandal indeed. But Richtofen had actually grown accustomed to the name Richtofen - _it did mean "smart_ _genius"_ _after all_ _._ So, he respected his father's wishes and was therefore treated as Wolf's son in all but name only.

However, that evening had left Richtofen with mixed feelings. There was a small part of him that worried there was some ulterior motive behind Wolf's overzealous acceptance of him. But, _with his_ _newfound_ _power_ , Richtofen tried to quell such thoughts.

Having now become a key player in enacting the brotherhood's agenda; new opportunities had now presented themselves to Richtofen. Doors which had previously been firmly bolted shut had now been opened for him.

Mr Gernsberg's country estate acted as a defacto headquarters - _operating in secret under the guise that it merely held superfluous hedonistic parties._ Everyone operated under strict secretiveness as the organisation vowed never to forget how their forefathers were chased out of Bavaria and hunted by their opponents.

Meetings would take place and discussions would be had as these self-appointed custodians of human progress mapped out humanity's trajectory. Within the group, members would be given certain sectors in which to infiltrate and align with the group's ideology.

Richtofen was initially only given dominion over matters relating to medicine and eugenics. However, his proficiency and gift in physics and engineering pleased Wolf and his masters so much that they saw him as an even more important chess piece - _to the dismay of some fellow members._ But it was something that inflated Richtofen's ego massively and the promotion had allowed him to progress his own work in ways far beyond anything he had ever dreamed.

Outside of these meetings, Richtofen basked in the company of the like-minded intellectuals. He also frequently attended Mr Gernsberg's more _'leisurely'_ gatherings. Everyone would assemble to spend hours in the smoke filled drawing room as they puffed away on pipes and cigars between interjecting to give their view or opinion on the topic at hand.

Once the evening set in, everyone would file out and prepare for the night's entertainment. A horn would sound signifying the commencement of the hunt as the warm glowing lanterns bobbed about in the darkness. The horses would be readied as vicious hounds snarled and barked underfoot. Many chose firearms whilst the more sadistic in the group resorted to more unconventional weaponry - _like Richtofen._

The elite had always enjoyed hunting game however, _for some_ , fox or fowl simply were not thrilling enough. They needed much larger prey that was sentient enough to realise it was being hunted. And so, the poor and homeless were rounded up as prey before being released out into the countryside on the promise that they would be freed if they survived the night.

As they scrambled barefoot amongst the foliage; the sounds of dogs and trampling horses followed close behind. The riders often wore masks or covered their faces with paint as they regressed from intellectual gentleman to bloodthirsty predators.

Richtofen, _however_ , preferred to stalk his prey on foot. With a assortment of blades at his disposal; he revelled in silently stalking his prey before moving in for the slow painful kill.

But even his elevated lifestyle was not enough to shake the gnawing that had plagued him since the night of his initiation. No matter how stimulating the debate, no matter how many achievements he scored for the brotherhood - _the gnawing would persist._

And that gnawing soon mutated into an even greater monster the more he tried to repress it. At night, Richtofen would often awaken and sit up gasping for breath as the feelings of impending doom consumed him. Many nights were spent on the cold bathroom floor as Richtofen would fall apart each and every night.

Richtofen was bewildered by the feelings as he loved every minute of his life. And the feelings of powerlessness over these attacks frustrated him and further fueled his sadistic rampages as he was determined to do it all the more.

One such day, _after a particularly bloody hunt_ , Richtofen lay on the bed in his sleeping quarters in the Gernsberg Manor. A gramophone sat on the bedside table as it played Tchaikovsky's " _Marche_ _Slav_ ". He still had not changed out of his blood soaked suit as he lay on the opulent white sheets. The door lay ajar as Richtofen lay on his back with his hands clasped over his stomach.

As the music began to pick up in pace and intensity, the same feeling began to well up within him. His mind's eye would see bloody flashbacks of his past crimes as they played like a film reel - _but the memories frightened him._ In this state of being, Richtofen began to feel overwhelmed as he was forced to recount the massacres, the fear in the eyes of his victims or the screams of agony.

But the feeling of fear also invoked anger and frustration within Richtofen. How could he relish every moment of torture and then suddenly recount the memory with such paralysing fear? He was living the life he had worked so hard for! The inability to quell and control this dissonance flushed his veins with the adrenaline of rage.

As he lay there, eyes closed and stoic demeanour, one of the butlers entered Richtofen's room. Leaving the door ajar with a small gold tassel indicated to the Manor staff that the room required cleaning.

The staff always dreaded passing the threshold into Richtofen's quarters. One of the older maids had the misfortune of entering his quarters and finding the bathtub caked with blood and gore. The sight caused her to faint until she was discovered by a fellow maid before Richtofen could return to find her.

Since then, many staff members would flat out protest climbing the stairs to his room. However, the elderly butler had the unfortunate luck of being the one to have to see to Richtofen that day.

As the butler entered the room, he hesitated with a gasp when he realised Richtofen was still in the room. The gramophone continued to play as the butler tried not to disturb the doctor. He looked around the room to identify what he was required to clean and tend to before deciding to check the bathroom.

The man's eyes widened as he saw the bloody mess Richtofen had left. The dried patches of blood had already begun to oxidise and blacken which caused the man to wretch. As he hunched over he felt a presence behind him. The music began to liven as it climbed to its climax. As the trumpets roared and the strings of the violins cried; the butler turned to see Richtofen's manic eyes glaring at him with a blood stained face.

Then, Richtofen suddenly struck the man with a small statue of Bacchus as the butler crumpled to the floor. The music raged on as Richtofen swooped down and continued to bludgeon the helpless man to within an inch of his life.

But no matter how much he enjoyed these violent outbursts; he would always later be plagued with the same strange fear and anxiety which would in turn fuel his rage. Even enacting his wrath was not enough to resolve the matter and these feelings quickly became a vicious cycle.

_It was_ _ruining_ _his fun after all..._

_End of part twelve..._


	17. Update

Hi everyone,

Sorry I've been so silent and leaving longer gaps between my chapters. I'm okay but I'm still unwell. My doctor took bloods at my last appointment so I'm waiting to hear back. I should know more by the end of this week and finally get this dealt with once and for all.

I've been trying to go through the next chapter but each time I look at it I just find it too disjointed. It's taking me ages to sort through it and I'd hoped to have it up by last week 😭

I'm going to aim for tomorrow night and run it past my friend. And hopefully by the next chapter I should know what's making me unwell and be in the process of treating it!

Hope everyone is doing well, I've missed talking to everyone! Please do let me know how you are doing if you see this ❤❤❤ xxx 


	18. Chapter Thirteen: Alone

Richtofen's eyes shot open. He was back in the makeshift dissecting room he had created for himself. Dismayed, he looked around the room and sighed. Although Richtofen had just painfully recounted such important years of his life; time had moved slowly in the present. But before he could let out another sigh - _his breath caught in his throat._

His eyes narrowed whilst he looked around the chaotic office again; but, _this time_ , he drank in every detail of the room. His stomach churned as he felt a wave of doom and gloom cloud over him. It was the spatterings of blackened tissues and blood on the walls, the ceiling light flickering as the sickly bulb strained for life; even the mere sight of the floor covered in a sea of manically strewn paperwork _-_ _what_ _he saw disgusted him._

In this light, Richtofen saw things very differently. And the feelings it evoked even caused him to almost wretch as he deliberately avoided looking at his ' _patient_ ' still laying on the makeshift operating table. The Ragnarök facility had housed unspeakably grotesque experiments yet it was his own office which now frightened him. Still feeling unnerved after recalling his past, it gave him a fleeting moment of clarity that his kind were rarely afforded. _The realisation that the room reflected the chaos of his twisted mind had presented itself like a_ _eldritch_ _spectre_ _._

There was even a dull ache at the thought that history was repeating itself. Even though he was so close to confronting Samantha; the same uneasy feeling from the past loomed over him. But he tried to remind himself that no matter how unshakeable this feeling was; it always cropped up right when he was on the precipice of something great.

Richtofen suddenly realised that the voices had been eerily absent from his mind which left him alone with his thoughts - _a_ _rare occurrence_. Rarely did a day go by when his mind wasn't being bombarded with the cacophony of voices all competing for dominance. Richtofen knew something was afoot; but, _even in his alarmed state_ , he dared not speculate any further.

So, despite the metaphorical alarm bells ringing out in his mind, Richtofen ignored them. These beings were above ulterior motives; they saw Richtofen's impressive potential to become like them! There was simply no way they were using him for their own ends, he thought. _They were different._

But for all Richtofen's intelligence, it was his ego that refused to accept this possibility. The human masters in the brotherhood he had long since outgrown were really no different to the ethereal ones he now submitted to - _both_ _mortals and immortals alike succumbed to the seduction of power._

After a low sigh, Richtofen stood up and stumbled breathlessly towards the nearby open window. A few minutes went by as he cast his gaze out onto the desolate landscape. His eyes scanned the mangled empty husks of what were once buildings; which was something that seemed to bring him some calm since the world ended. _Such_ _beautiful destruction._

The evening breeze whispered through the gap in the window as the cold air gently grazed Richtofen's face. He looked down at his pocket and produced a silver pocket watch - _the back of which was engraved in gothic script._ The brotherhood had presented it to him with the latin motto " _finis coronat opus_ "; which means, " _the_ _end_ _crowns the work_ ".

Richtofen pressed the top as the lid clicked open to reveal the mother of pearl clock face. The seconds hand raced across the Roman numerals as he listened to the incessant ticking. The time read ten o'clock - _which seemed to immediately sober him._

Richtofen put the pocket watch back in his pocket and ran a hand through his blonde hair to slick it back. He then buttoned his shirt collar and readjusted his tie before returning to his desk to put on his hat. The previously dishevelled man on the brink of breaking down was no more; these kinds of mental slip ups were always swiftly glazed over and buried.

Whilst Richtofen had ordered the others to journey to the cosmodrome via the lunar lander; he, _however_ , had been instructed to stay behind. The voices insisted that Richtofen send the others to the cosmodrome where they would encounter Dr Gersch. _But,_ _they had other plans for Richtofen._

Unsurprisingly though, the details of their plans were deliberately withheld from him. Of course, the voices were _always_ vague in their descriptions as to only reveal the bare minimum to Richtofen - _which kept_ _him dependent_ _on their_ _instruction._ But, it was the price to pay for unlimited power, _he thought._ So he did as he was ordered.

The voices had become more and more adamant in demanding that Richtofen to cease pursuing his diary - _something they deemed to be an "unnecessary errand"._ But, this was an order Richfofen continually disobeyed. The voices knew the diary would break the chains they had carefully wound around him; and they had to make him cease this obsession if their goals were to be realised. So, they instructed him to stay behind on the promise that it was necessary for obtaining his diary.

Richtofen knew the voices had been becoming increasingly demanding; even more so as the end goal was coming closer. It was something he found odd and suspicious - _and impossible to ignore._ But still, he discarded the thought.

Richtofen's mind then wandered to _her_. His stomach turned as a sharp pang overwhelmed him with anxiousness and impatience. The intense urgency to know whether Kiana was indeed capable of what she claimed was overwhelming. A part of him was hoping they would meet again. _Yet_ , his lust for power and control would quickly beat down such thoughts to the inner recesses of his mind.

Richtofen quickly snapped his attention back to the room. Before recounting his memoirs, he had received a particularly bad berating from the voices earlier this evening. Any time he tried to gleam some kind of information from them; his questions were met with belittlement and dismissal.

Usually, in order to block out his ever creeping doubts and worries; he would try to occupy his mind on his creations whilst he awaited further instruction from his masters. But this evening's moment of clarity made this unfeasible. So instead, Richtofen left the confinement of his office and simply went on a walk in the grounds of the facility. 

A few hours later, Richtofen felt the familiar call of sleep that made his skin crawl. He tried his best to fight it before a voice whispered in his mind.

 _"Feeling tired, Edward? Why don't you go back to_ _your_ _office and have a well deserved sleep?"_ The voice cooed.

 _"Jou all hate vhen I shleep. Jou tell me how useless und unproductive I am vhen I do... vhy on Earth vould jou grant me respite now?"_ Richtofen queried with confusion. His boots crunched on the gravel as he had come to a sudden stop. The wind howled ominously as he awaited a response.

 _"We have come so far, Edward. We are almost there! Don't you want to rest a little before the grand finale?"_ Another voice jested.

Richtofen felt awash with suspicion and panic. There was something extremely unsettling by this voice. He had been subjected to years of torment by these voices screaming in his head - _this new show of kindness was deeply unsettling._ But he had to clear his mind and shake any doubt which would alert them to his suspicion. So when the voice gently suggested again that he take time to sleep he agreed and returned to his office.

There was an armchair from one of the staff rooms nearby that Richtofen had previously ordered Dempsey and Takeo to take into the room. Since then, it had served as his bed. Richtofen shook off his jacket and took off his boots before reclining and trying to feign sleep.

His mind was always a turbulent sea of thoughts and ideas which were difficult to quell. But, he knew he had to maintain a clear mind in order to trick the voices into thinking he was finally asleep. Richtofen lay for an hour or two before finally managing to pull it off. Feeling the voices absent from his mind again only added to the unsettling situation.

But _suddenly_ , Richtofen flinched as he heard a small thud and buzzing of electricity come from the teleporter room down the hallway. Richtofen quickly regained composure and lay quietly and still as he listened to the door of the teleporter room creak open. After a few seconds, he then heard the bellowing sound of heavily thudding footsteps lumbering up the hallway towards his room.

Richtofen's heart began to race and the adrenaline stirred his fight or flight reaction. But, his rational mind kicked in as he tried to remain calm and select the best course of action. He opted to stay still and continue to listen to the sound of the footsteps steadily crescendoing before coming to a stop at his door. His muscles tensed, not like vulnerable prey, but like that of a predator laying in wait.

He lay there ready to pounce as the loose metal door handle rattled gently against the wooden door. The hinges quietly whined as the door began to open. Richtofen was completely out in the open now as nothing provided protection between him and the unknown visitor. Suddenly, the thudding footsteps began to make their way towards him before stopping by his chair. Richtofen could hear ragged breathing as the unknown intruder fiddled around with something before the sound of a gun cocking was the catalyst in setting him into motion.

Richtofen opened his eyes and quickly to sprung into action as he rose from the chair with inhuman speed - _causing the person to stumble back with fright._ Everything was a blur of movement but within seconds, Richtofen was now behind the assailant with his knife pressed against their throat. When the heat of the moment extinguished; he realised he was staring at the back of someone familiar.

 _"Ah, shiesse. Zhis vas not vhat how I exshpected zhis to go"_ , a familiar German accent chuckled dryly.

_End of part thirteen..._


	19. Chapter Fourteen: Assailant

After a calming breath, Richtofen eased his grip on the knife. Slowly, he carefully pulled it away from the German's throat. During the struggle, the intruder had dropped the pistol he had been holding. But thankfully though, it had fallen nearest to Richtofen - _who quickly clocked it._

The man, _however_ , showed no interest in locating the whereabouts of the gun as he instead lumbered away. Once he had taken a few paces; he came to an abrupt stop. The man steeled himself and breathed a sorrowful sigh. He then dusted himself off and flamboyantly swivelled around on one heel to look at Richtofen.

 _"Has anyvone told jou how_ _ **devilishly**_ _handsome jou are?"_ The man cooed before revealing his face - _and_ _taking Richtofen by surprise._

Richtofen's eyes widened as they reflected the man's face back at him. _His suspicions had been confirmed._ Richtofen's glacial blue eyes gazed into the very same ones - _but_ _they_ _were not like Primis'._ The man stood before him was like his doppelganger.

As well as their eyes, they shared the same swept back dirty blonde hair. The man smirked as he gazed back at Richtofen with the same time-worn face - _each line etched by his twisted past._ But, _strangely_ , this Richtofen was wearing a cosmonaut suit. He looked _just_ like Richtofen and _not at all like Primis._ The man before him was his _Ultimis_ self.

Richtofen quickly broke his chain of thought and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He sized Ultimis up before pursing his lips. Then, he finally spoke first.

 _"How did jou get here?! Und_ ** _vhat_** _exactly vas_ _ **zhat**_ _all about?!"_ Richtofen snapped crossly. He folded his arms as he awaited an explanation.

Ultimis snapped from his smug daze before his eyes widened and he began to panic and grasp for any excuse. Richtofen raised a surprised brow as he was taken aback by Ultimis' reaction.

 _"Edvard, jou have to understand. It vasn't mein idea--"_ , Richtofen's doppelganger replied with panic before pausing.

 _"It... it vas_ _ **zhem**_ _!_ _ **Zhey**_ _made me do it, I svear!"_ Ultimis continued, which earned glaring suspicion from Richtofen as he again pursed his lips.

Richtofen's eyes scanned Ultimis' face whilst trying to gauge the sincerity of his words. This version of him was rather jumpy - _he did not carry himself like Richtofen._ For his doppelganger, Richtofen had already begun to find Ultimis rather disappointing. Richtofen unfolded his arms and assumed a more open stance before replying.

 _"Und_ ** _who_** _are 'zhey'?"_ Richtofen asked condescendingly.

Ultimis anxiously looked around with paranoia as if checking the coast was clear before finally speaking.

 _"Jou_ ** _know_** _who I'm talking about, Edvard._ ** _Zhey_** _sent me here after I failed on zhe moon"_ , the doppelganger explained.

Richtofen flinched with the shock of Ultimis' words. _How could he fail?_ The plan was fool-proof! How could someone as genius as him fail at _anything_ \- _nevermind his grand scheme of all things!_ For Richtofen, nothing could stand in the way of him and the MPD. This doppelganger was a pale imitation of his greatness!

Then, Ultimis began to speak again which killed Richtofen's train of thought.

 _"Zhey sent me to_ ** _zhis_** _shpecific timeline und ordered me to take mein place vithin it"_ , the doppelganger continued.

 _"Ve are just two of many infinite iterations of ourshelves. It vas nozhing personal, I promise"_ , Ultimis added.

Richtofen's eyes shifted around as he processed the information.

" _How could zhey do zhis to me?!_ _"_ Richtofen screamed internally.

How could they just replace him like that? **_He_** _was the one and only Edward Richtofen!_ But then, all the doubts, all the suspicions - _they had not been in vain!_ Richtofen had tried so hard to escape his ever creeping doubts but now it was unavoidable. These advanced beings were no better than humans. _But_ _they were far more dangerous._

The thought of Richtofen being used as a mere expendable pawn angered him. His mind raced with murderous thoughts as he calculated every possible way he could wreak vengeance.

 _"Zhey vill pay!"_ Richtofen exclaimed in his mind.

His attention then turned back to the man before him who stood eyeing him apprehensively. Richtofen raised an eyebrow as he watched Ultimis try to compose himself whilst he awaited Richtofen's response.

 _"How could zhey zhink zhat zhis man could take me out?! It is_ _downright_ _inshulting!"_ Richtofen growled to himself.

He then realised his response was becoming long overdue.

 _"So, jou are from shome kind of alternate universe then?"_ Richtofen replied curtly.

 _"Ja, vhen zhe original vone of us overloaded zhe teleporter und travelled through both shpace UND time it caused zhe universe to fracture und branch off into different paths"_ , the doppelganger replied matter-of-fact.

 _"In mein universe, I vas unable to shee zhrough mein grand scheme"_ , Ultimis added.

Richtofen thought about what was just said. If this was true then these infinite iterations of himself were all vying for power. And, it meant that what Kiana told him _was_ true. Primis hadn't been some kind of trick, he really was just another version of himself. He really was _him_ from another universe!

 _"Mein diary..."_ Ultimis began which caught Richtofen's attention.

 _"Go on..."_ Richtofen murmured menacingly.

 _"It must be zhe key! If only I hadn't listened to zhem, perhaps zhen I could've shucceeded!"_ Ultimis spat regretfully.

Richtofen's heart skipped a beat as the walls of the room closed in on him - _the sudden revelation made the room spin._ This was why his masters had been so adamant in talking him out of pursuing his diary. It _is_ the key! They knew that their hold over him would diminish once he found it. Richtofen had never even needed their help in gaining control of the MPD!

Richtofen's obsession with retrieving his diary had created a rift between him and his masters. And the more time that went by; the more insubordinate Richtofen became. They wanted to replace Richtofen with a more obedient version just so they could regain control of their pawn. Perhaps even, _if Richtofen wanted to really allow his paranoia to take hold of him_ , perhaps these beings _made_ his Ultimis self fail in order to convince him to take Richtofen out.

_But the question was, what made this time line so significant?_

Richtofen's fist tightened as his heart swelled with anger and betrayal. He could feel himself slipping into that dangerously violent mood which proceeded his terrible tirades. But for now, he would have to contain the rage and hold it at bay. _There were_ _more_ _pressing_ _matters_ _at hand._

 _"Oh, zhat old zhing? I forgot all about it!"_ Richtofen said nonchalantly as he waved dismissively.

In reality though, Richtofen's diary contained details of his research and was the amalgamation of all the knowledge he had gained over the long years - _it was the road map for enacting his grand scheme!_ But it was now clear, Richtofen needed to find his diary at all costs. He had to get to the cosmodrome as soon as possible! At present, he was vulnerable and powerless without it.

Suddenly, Ultimis' voice pierced through Richtofen's thoughts.

 _"_ _ **Nein**_ _!_ _Edvard_ _, it_ _ **is**_ _zhe_ _key!_ _Ve_ _need to find it! I_ _ **vill**_ _shucceed_ _zhis_ _time!"_ Ultimis interrupted.

Richtofen instinctively closed his eyes and smiled upon hearing Ultimis' choice of words.

 _"_ _How_ _quaint"_ , Richtofen laughed to himself.

His eyes then suddenly shot open as he shot an icy glare towards Ultimis.

 _"Oh, I'm very shorry jou couldn't shucceed and all..."_ Richtofen began.

Ultimis raised an eyebrow whilst apprehensively waiting to hear what he was going to say next.

 _"But I reeeeally do need zhat dashing schpace suit jou happen to look_ ** _so_** _handsome in"_ , Richtofen sang as a menacing smile crept across his lips.

_Then, his smile twisted into a devilish snarl..._

_End of_ _part fourteen..._


End file.
